The Light of Linked Souls
by NaluNaluNALU
Summary: When Souls younger sister comes to join the DWMA, all hell breaks loose. What's wrong with Maka? BlackStar, you really don't want to mess with her! Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's. Post-Manga. SoMa, KiLiz, TsuStar, and Chrisire (Wanna know? Read and find out). Maybe a couple others...
1. long time no 'see', Soul

Light of linked souls

A Soul Eater fanfic

By: AngelicKishinHunter

**Chapter 1: Long time no 'see', Soul**

"Ouch!" Soul said as Maka pulled a little too tightly.

"Well it's your own fault! You shouldn't be so reckless out there!" She scolded him as she wrapped the bandages a little looser. They'd just returned from a job and Soul had jumped in front of Maka when she'd nearly gotten killed. Maka and he were sitting in the bathroom as they patched up each other's wounds.

"Well you should stop dropping me! Ah!" He shouted when she smacked his back a little harder than she should have, then rubbing to stick the bandage in place.

"Okay, first off, I've only dropped you once before, second, that guy knocked you out of my grasp." Maka defended herself as she walked to the sink to wash her hands.

"So keep a firmer grip and I won't have to jump in front of you again." He retorted.

"Fine, whatever, just go put a shirt on!" She said. Soul huffed and was about to turn around when he noticed a red stain on Maka's arm.

"What about your wounds?" He asked concerned.

"Huh? Oh, this? It's nothing, don't worry about it." She tried to reassure him and get her arm out of sight, but he gently grabbed her arm and examined the wound. The gash ran horizontally across her forearm and was pretty deep. Soul furrowed his brows.

"That's not nothing." He stated as she snatched her arm back.

"Don't worry; I can take care of it." She said, drying off her hands.

"Maka… let me." He said, grabbing her arm back and beginning to roll up the sleeve.

"Soul, I can do it!" She insisted, pulling her arm back.

"It'd be better if I did it and easier!" He said, taking hold of her arm for the third tome and rolling up the sleeve the rest of the way, revealing the bloody wound and dabbed the cloth in rubbing alcohol. He lightly pressed the cloth to her arm and she flinched. Soul looked up at her and smirked.

"Told you it's not nothing." He said and tenderly sanitized the cut, all the while Maka couldn't stop starring at the scar on his chest, remembering the painful memories.

'_If only I hadn't been so stupid that day, I'd never have gotten Soul hurt and he wouldn't have to fight the black blood every occasion he does, Crona probably would've devoured the town though. But maybe the Kishin wouldn't have been resurrected, I would've followed the strategy Stein prepared and we would've stopped the Kishin! He wouldn't have possessed Crona and the moon wouldn't be surrounded in black blood and…_' Maka gritted her teeth as her thoughts escalated.

"There, done…" Soul stated when he finished wrapping the cut in a bandage and looked up at her. "Maka are you alright?" Soul asked when he noticed the angry look on her face as she starred at his chest. He looked down to the scar that peaked out from beneath his bandage and understood the annoying thoughts his meister was thinking.

"Oi, Maka, wake up and quit blaming yourself for something that happened years ago!" He said, waving a hand in her face. She snapped from her thoughts and pouted. "What is it with you and blaming yourself about this scar anyways?" He asked, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"If I hadn't been so stupid that day, none of it would've happened." She huffed looking away from him.

"It wasn't your fault, Maka, you have to know that." He tried for the billionth time in 4 years to avert her intuition of fault.

"You don't know that! This whole ordeal with Black blood and the resurrected Kishin, the book of Eibon! All of it could've been completely different if I had just walked away like I was supposed to!" She shouted standing up and towering over Soul. He just stared up at her blankly for a moment, and then he sighed.

"You're right." He sighed.

"What?" Maka asked, surprised.

"You're absolutely right. All of this could've been avoided." He calmly stated, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets, eyes closed.

"Uh, well, yeah, thank you for finally agreeing." She said proudly.

"Everything that's happened could've been completely redirected." He said, smirk forming.

"Yes, it could have." She said, more confidently.

"Yup, we wouldn't be in an era of peace right now if only you'd have a made a different choice." He said with a small smirk on his face.

"Exactly! Wait, what?" she stopped suddenly.

"We wouldn't have taken down Medusa either, or Arachne, we wouldn't be as strong as we are now, we wouldn't have made so many friends, witches and humans alike, and I wouldn't be death scythe now." Soul said ignoring her.

"Wait, that's not what I-" Again, Soul cut her off.

"And Kid wouldn't have become a Shinigami and Shibusen would still be hunting witches instead of allying them. Not to mention Crona would still be a broken child and being beaten and punished daily by his mother Medusa. But that's just the little stuff, right?" Soul smirked, looking at his partner with a triumphant look in his eye. Maka pursed her lips in defeat.

"Fine, you win, but just this once!" She said as his smile got even wider and he chuckled. "Now go put a shirt on dummy!" She said as she shoved him out of the way and exited the bathroom to go make dinner.

She hated it when he did stuff like that, it made her seem… stupid. He'd gotten so much wiser over the past four years. But still, that shark toothed bastard was her partner and she wouldn't have it any other way.

After dinner Maka and Soul sat down to watch a movie.

"No, we should watch jaws. It's a much better choice." Soul argued to his Meister.

"Says you, I say we watch the decoy bride!" Maka said, opting against watching sharks attack and eat things.

"But that movie's terrible!" He complained.

"You haven't even seen it!" She shouted at him.

"So, it's girly!" He said.

"It's supposed to be funny." She mumbled. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Maka looked to the door with a raised eyebrow, and then looked to the clock. 12:48PM. She got up off the couch and looked through the peephole. A girl around 14 was standing there patiently. She had long snow white hair and grayish white eyes.

Maka furrowed her brows and opened the door. "Hello, can I help you?" Maka asked the girl.

"Uh, does Soul Evans live here?" She questioned. Maka looked to Soul and he had the same bewildered look on his face.

"Um, yes, why, do you know him?" Maka asked curiously.

"Mmm, you could say that. Though, I haven't seen him in nearly five years. May I come in?" She asked, never making direct eye contact.

"Uh, of course, come on in." Maka said kindly, stepping aside to let her pass.

"Thank you. Um may I see Soul perchance?" She asked, a little nervously. Both Soul and Maka looked a little confused. She was almost staring rite at him.

"Uh, I'm right here." He said. She jumped a little, startled. She cautiously walked forward and touched his face, feeling it like it was the only way she would recognize him. Suddenly she smiled and tackled him in a hug.

"It is you! Onii-san!" She yelped happily as she practically choked him. Realization dawned on his face as Maka thought '_Onii-san?_'

"Laura? Is that really you? You've gotten so big!" He said pulling her away and smiling brightly.

"Uh, someone mind filling me in?" She asked. Laura turned and looked in her direction, smiling but still refusing to make eye contact.

"My name's Laura Sapphire Evans, but you can call me Sapphire, I'd prefer it. I'm Souls younger sister, youngest of the Evans siblings." She said putting her hand out for Maka to shake.

"Maka Albarn, Soul's Meister." Maka replied, grasping Sapphires slightly smaller hand in her own and Sapphires eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! Really?! I've always wanted to meet Souls Meister! It's very nice to meet you Maka!" She said excitedly.

"It's nice to meet you too, Sapphire." Maka replied, getting to like this hyperactive girl.

"But it'd be a dream come true if I could actually _see_ you." She said, smiling sadly. Maka's expression dropped at that moment.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Maka asked, worriedly.

"Laura's been blind since birth. She doesn't even know what a color looks like." Soul said sadly as well. "Our parents have kind of resented her for it too. She can't be a musical prodigy like me and Wes because of it. Sure, if she taught herself to feel the notes on the instrument, but she still wouldn't be able to play the music on the page in front of her. Hey, that reminds me, where's Blake?" Soul asked.

"Blake?" Maka asked, getting confused again.

"I told him to wait outside, I wasn't sure if you'd like it if I brought a dog in your house." She said.

"Oh, come on, I haven't seen him in five years, bring him on in." He said. She smiled and carefully walked back out the door and came back with a bright blue eyed grey Husky. As soon as it saw Soul it licked Sapphires hand, signaling her to let go of the leash. Once she did he ran and hopped up the couch to tackle soul in slobbery licks.

"Oh, down Blake, down!" He chuckled, pushing the dog off of him and sitting back up, wiping his face. Maka and Sapphire started laughing at him. "Hey, it's not funny." He stated, wiping his cheek as the girls just laughed harder.

"And just to make sure you're cleared up on everything, Blake is practically my Seeing Eye dog." Sapphire said when she'd finally calmed down.

"But we didn't get him from the Seeing Eye dog center or whatever. We got him from the normal pound when was just a puppy. Sapphire trained him herself and he's not as protective as most would be. You can pet him unlike the others." Soul explained.

"Oh, that's cool."

"He's one hell of a tracker too. Found this place pretty easily. When I told him to go find Soul he practically already knew where he was!" Sapphire said happily. Maka smiled and pet Blake. He nuzzled her hand to make her scratch his ears.

"Anyways, I just came to see – well, talk to you again and tell you I'll be joining the DWMA as a Meister soon." Sapphire said.

"I always wondered if you were a Meister." He muttered.

"Wait a minute, Meister? But Soul's a weapon." Maka said, confused for the billionth that afternoon.

"We have both Weapon and Meister blood in our family, but most of us have been human, except for Soul and I that is." She said simply.

"Ah, I understand." Maka said as she continued to pet Blake.

"So yeah, I'll see ya later! You guys can come by anytime you want. I'm not even to far, just two crossroads down and kitty corner on the left." She said.

"You're welcome here too, Sapphire, whenever you want." Maka smiled kindly though she knew sapphire couldn't see it. Sapphire left and Maka turned to Soul with a giddy smile on her face.

"What?" He asked.

"You never told me you had a sister." Maka smiled as she plopped down next to her partner on the couch.

"Uh, yeah it never really came up." He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hmm…" Maka started to think.

"What?" Soul asked.

"I wonder who her partner will end up being." Maka wondered.

"Yeah, I wonder…" He agreed.

"I hope she doesn't get some pervert." Maka said.

"Tch, if she does I'll smack him silly to leave her alone." Soul said.

"I think my Maka Chop would be more effective." Maka chuckled.

"Alright, now then, which movie should we watch?" Soul questioned.

"How about we just watch Yes Man?" Maka said, knowing they'd never agree on the other two.

"Sounds good to me." Soul said and got up to put the movie in.

**A/N**: I'M NOT DEAD! I felt like I should've been yesterday, BUT I'M NOT! I'm so sorry I haven't updated my stories in forever, but my computer was under repairs and I needed some sick days apparently. Then I went on a writing spree and now I can't think of any other story than this one right now. Just let me work out my fetish and I'll get back to Inukag as soon as possible. XD Hope you enjoyed! R&R please! It make me feel warm and cuddly when you do!


	2. Initiation

**A/N:** Okay, I'll admit, chapter one, not my best work, but it's my first time with an OC and I know she's not much like Soul, but just wait and see. After, those with the brightest smiles have the darkest pasts, right? Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Initiation**

Soul woke up on a Monday morning to an extremely annoying noise coming from the living room, girly laughing, and not the light adorable kind. He groaned as he got up and everything went quiet as he stood to put a shirt on.

Next thing he knew his sister burst through his door and shouted a good morning to him. He stumbled back into his bed as Maka started laughing hysterically from the living room and Sapphire soon followed.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he stared at her in complete shock.

"It's Initiation day!" She replied happily. "The day I officially become a Shibusen student!"

"Wha?" Soul said.

"I came here because I have no clue where the school is!" She added, still as happy as a monkey. "When I heard you groan I knew you must have been up, so I thought I'd say hi!"

"Oh, uh… hey." He replied, calming down a bit. Sapphire was wearing a pair of genes and an almost navy blue tank top with a badge that said 'Meister' on it. Her hair was in a loose braid that almost made her hair look like it was down still.

"I also offered to help her to get ready." Maka said, smiling too.

"All my books are in brail." Sapphire smiled.

"Any way, Soul you'll have to get up now, we're going to be representatives at the initiation, so get ready." Maka called as she got off the couch to make breakfast.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that." He grumbled. When he was dressed and stepped out of his room Soul was nearly knocked down by Blake who was again overjoyed to see him.

"Hey, good morning to you too, dog face." He said, smiling, patting the dog on the head. Blake got off him and Soul walked to the dining room. They talked as they ate, Sapphire telling Soul of a few embarrassing things that happened to Wes while he was away, Soul and Maka both compared her stories to moments with their friends (Mostly Black*Star and Kid). Once they finished Maka handed Sapphire a beige shoulder bag of books. It had a couple decorative stickers on it like a heart with wings and a patch that looked awfully like a soul of sorts.

"Here" Maka said as she handed the bag to Sapphire.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's a shoulder bag for you. I already put everything you'll need in it." Maka said smiling. Sapphire held out her hand curiously and Maka put the bag in her grasp.

Sapphire smiled at Maka and that was the first time she'd noticed Sapphires sharp teeth. They were smaller than Souls, but they were definitely there. '_Guess I've grown so accustomed to Souls teeth I didn't even notice._' Maka thought to herself.

"Any way, we should get going right?" Soul said.

"Yeah, let's go." Maka said and walked out the door as Soul held it open, Sapphire following after she had grabbed Blake's leash and led him out the door, Soul closing the door as he walked out and locking it.

When they got to the school Sapphire was a little winded from the amount of stairs they had to climb.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Maka assured the young meister. Sapphire only nodded and followed their footsteps to the building. She was so focused, however, that she hadn't noticed footsteps walking towards her and bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" A loud voice declared from in front of her. Sapphire only laughed.

"You dare laugh at the mighty Black*Star?!" The boy cried.

"Black*Star, you really shouldn't be so rude!" A woman said from behind him.

"You're just too ridiculous. As if I'd 'watch were I was going', as you so kindly put it." Sapphire laughed at the oblivious boy.

"Oh really, you wanna go?" He said as she heard the rustling of a sleeve.

"Ah, crap." Soul said. "He's gonna get his ass whooped." Soul muttered so Black*Star wouldn't hear. Maka and Sapphire heard perfectly well. Maka was confused then and Sapphire simply smirked.

"Sorry, but I have an initiation to go to. Maybe later though." Sapphire said as he started to walk away. Black*Star was not happy with this so he ran at her from behind.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent!" Black*Star shouted, about to punch her, but she dodged and spun behind him, grabbing his arm at the crook of the elbow and pushing him down at the top of his spine when he tried to sit up straight as she laughed.

"That phrase would work if I'd had eyes on you in the first place." She said voice thick with amusement. She let him go and started to walk back towards Soul and Maka again, leaving Black*Star completely speechless. Soul just sighed as Maka had the same look of amassment.

"What the hell just happened?" Black*Star and Maka spoke at the same time.

"Sapphire may be blind, but that just makes her depend on her other senses more." Soul said simply and pulled Maka inside, Sapphire on their tail. "You can never get the drop on her." Soul muttered and Sapphire smirked playfully.

Maka had recovered her senses enough to lead them into the classroom all the freshmen were meeting in. Sapphire went in first and leaned on the wall by the door as Soul and Maka greeted Kid.

"So I take it over there is Laura?" Kid asked, looking between the pair at the teenager leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, and she probably just provoked Black*Star a minute ago." Maka said.

"Well, in any case, it appears that everyone is present. We should begin." Kid said as he checked down the list. He then turned to the class and everyone silenced once they noticed.

"Alright, now then, as you all know, you have been gathered here to mingle with the students you see in this room in hopes you'll find a meister or weapon partner. Now this isn't the only class that has freshmen like you in it as I'm sure you're aware, so don't be ashamed if you don't find a partner right away. Sometimes it takes years to find the right one, like it did my weapons." Kid explained as quickly as possible.

"Now, there are some things you should know before you start introducing yourselves." Maka added quickly and every ones gaze turned to her. "First, there is going to be no fighting over partners, got it? There have been accidents."

"Second, whoever you choose you can't go changing your mind later, so choose carefully. They will be your partner until you retire unless the connection is somehow broken." Soul finished.

"Now then, with that in mind, go ahead and introduce yourselves to each other. If you have any questions, Soul, Maka and I are here to answer them for you." Kid said and everyone started talking. It wasn't long before a boy with blond hair walked up to Sapphire.

"Hey there, what's your name?" He said, smirking at her. When she didn't answer he tried again. "Hey, I asked for your name."

"What? Oh, where you talking to me. Sorry, I'm Sapphire." She said, seemingly board.

"My name's Dean, nice to meet you Sapphire." He held out his hand but she made no move to shake it so he pulled back. "So, I was wondering, maybe you'd like to be-" But he was cut off by a racket coming from the other side of the room.

"Ha! Look at this wimp! He's such a poor excuse for a weapon, his blades probably dull!" One kid said mockingly. Dean Tch'd.

"What an embarrassment." He said and turned back to talk to the cute girl again but was surprised to see her no longer there. He turned and saw her marching towards the circle of kids.

Sapphire pushed through the crowd to the kid she heard breathing hard and irritably in the center. She stood defiantly to the one that was snickering at his comment.

"Leave him alone." She said, putting her hands to her hips and hoped she was blocking his view.

"Move girly, this doesn't concern you." The boy said, attempting to push her out of the way. Bad move.

She grabbed the arm that touched her and spun him around, pulling his arm behind his back. Though it was purely reflex she couldn't help but snicker. "Well it sure as hell is my concern now."

"Shinigami-sama said no fighting!" The kids blurted out, wanting this girl to let go of the other child. Kid looked to Maka and Soul.

"What do you guys think?" Kid asked.

"All I saw was self-defense. You Maka?" Soul asked, looking to his meister.

"I agree, that was self-defense." Maka replied.

"Exactly what I was thinking." Kid smirked as Sapphire let the kid go and he stumbled forward on his face.

"This isn't over!" He declared and ran to the other end of the classroom. Sapphire turned to the kid on the floor.

"You okay?" She asked as she heard him get up.

"I could've handled it." He murmured.

"I'm sure you could've. My names Sapphire, by the way." She said, smiling at him.

"Christopher, though, most people call me Chris." He said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"That was quite a show Sapphire." Soul said from behind Chris, just about scaring him half to death. Chris had short messy brown hair and simple brown eyes. He was wearing and orange t-shirt that said 'Weapon' on it with beige khaky shorts.

"Oh shut up Soul, it's no different than when you'd challenge me." Sapphire crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Soul just chuckled.

"I don't know, you seem to have gotten slower." He teased and Sapphire froze. Soul just laughed and rubbed her head. "I'm just kidding, if anything, you've gotten faster." He chuckled and she glared in his direction.

"Yeah yeah, bastard." She said, mumbling that last bit.

"Hey." Maka said, next to Chris, making him jump again. "You okay?" She asked sweetly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright." He stammered hiding his face from the senior as it turned red from embarrassment. Maka just laughed at his humbleness.

"Okay, everyone, if you would come up here with your partner I'll write down who you're with so we can enter you into the school records as Meister and Weapon." Kid said. The pairs came up one by one, the singles in a corner, still trying to find compatible partners.

Chris looked to his strange savior. He'd noticed by now how she never looked at anyone or anything directly. He rubbed the back of his neck as he forced the words to come out.

"Hey, Sapphire?" He asked.

"Yes?" She asked, turning her head slightly in his direction.

"Would you, umm, mind… being my, uh… my meister?" He asked, his face turning red again.

"Are you sure you want to? It's not gonna be easy." She warned him, a serious look on her face.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't." He said. Sapphire smiled.

"Sure, but fair warning." She started. He looked at her. "I'm blind." He looked almost horrified.

'_She's blind?! Then how'd she do that move earlier?!_' Chris thought in amassment. He shook his head.

"But don't get me wrong, I'll still be one hell of a meister." She smiled brightly. "Promise." He stared for a moment before smirking and nodding his head in understanding.

"I believe you." He said.

"Well then, shall we go inform the Shinigami?" She asked. She walked forward and he was about to follow when Soul stopped the young weapon.

"Oi, if you get my sister hurt, I'm not gonna go easy on you." Soul warned.

'_Sister?_' Chris thought and gulped, but turned and looked straight at Soul with a fierce gaze. Soul held his expression before smirking and sighing.

"Good, glad we're on the same page. C'mon Maka, we should go before our next period starts." Soul said and started to walk off. Maka let him walk for a moment before turning to Chris.

"Don't mind him; just do your best and you'll achieve great heights." Maka said before catching up with Soul. Chris smiled and walked up to Sapphire and joined her in talking to Kid.

"Ah hello Sapphire, it's nice to finally meet you. Is this your weapon?" He asked and she nodded. "Alright, names?" He asked.

"Laura Sapphire Evans." She said.

"Christopher Lawrence." He said.

"Okay, you two are now officially Meister and Weapon partners." Kid said, smiling to them both and stamped the partnering sheet to enter in later on. That's how it all started.

* * *

**A/N:**Why you no review?! I like knowing what you think! Then again it was a first chapter, and a shitty one at that. Anyway, I hope this one's better. Hope you like! REVIEW PLEASE!


	3. A Witches Soul Curse

**A/N:** Hi guys! I'm back! I'll be honest, I ran into a tiny writers block, but here's the next chapter. A quick special thanks to Tawny Haired Wild Flower and Barbed-Wire (Guest) for being the first couple of reviews and for lightening my mood. I really do love to know what you guys think. ^_^ Anyway, on with the show!

**Chapter 3: A Witches Soul Curse**

"Kid?" Liz asked as they filed the profiles of the freshmen.

"Yes, what is it?" Kid asked as he sorted the profiles.

"The Meister in this profile, it says she's Souls sister?" Liz said.

"Yes?" Kid said, allowing her continue.

"Wouldn't that mean she was a weapon?" Liz asked.

"Not unless there's both Weapon and Meister blood in their family, like in Maka's." Kid replied, sorting through the rest of the pile on his desk.

"Ah… another thing, how is she going to fight if she can't see?" Liz asked.

"I'm sure she'll find a way Liz. But speaking of the Evans, I need to speak to Soul and Maka." Kid said.

"Is it about a mission?" Liz asked, setting Sapphires file down.

"Yeah, would you go get them? Mabba has informed me of a rouge witch." Kid replied.

"I'm on it." Liz said, saluting Kid jokingly and skipped out of the death room. Kid smiled and shook his head at the twin gun.

"Maka, come here a sec!" Liz called, running down the hall towards the emerald eyed Meister.

"What's up?" Maka asked as Liz ran to her side.

"Kid-Sama wants to see you and Soul about a mission. Something about a rogue witch." Liz said. "Speaking of which, where is Soul?" Liz asked, eyebrows furrowed, not seeing the red eyed Weapon in sight.

"He went to get a snack. Tell Kid we'll be there as soon as he gets back." Maka said and smiled. Just then they heard one of Souls fan girls squealing. A vein popped on Maka's head.

"Scratch that, we'll be right there." She said before marching in the direction of the swooning and Soul making nervous laughs. Liz snickered.

'_They so like each other._' She thought and went back to the death room as Maka saved Soul from desperate fan girls and he mouthed a silent thank you as they walked away.

"Ah, there you are. As I'm sure Liz told you, I have a mission for you." Kid began as The Weapon Meister pair walked in. "Mabba-sama has informed me of a witch named Liana Gorgon has deserted the treaty between us and gone rogue. Mabba wants us to capture her and bring her in." Kid explained.

"Mmm… sounds fun enough. Soul, how about you?" Maka asked, turning to her partner.

"Sounds cool, I'm in." He smirked.

"Alright, you take the plane to Florida in a couple hours. I suggest you go pack your things." Kid said. They nodded and walked out.

"What's with all the rogue witches lately? Black*Star and Tsubaki left just a couple hours ago to go chase one and now one for us too?" Soul groaned with his hands behind his head as they walked through the hall.

"Well, the treaty was proclaimed the same day you became the last Death Scythe, so it wasn't all that long ago. You can't expect everyone to just accept it just like that. Things like this take time." Maka replied.

"Yeah, still, this can't go on much longer or they'll start sending the newbie's out on missions." Soul grunted.

"Yeah, you have a point." Maka said, walking outside with Soul right behind her. Then she realized something. "Hey, where's Blake?" Maka asked, looking around but not seeing the dog that sapphire had secured outside before She bumped into Black*Star.

"Sapphire must've brought him in after she got Chris, more than likely to introduce them." Soul explained.

"I hope so." Maka muttered and followed Soul down the steps.

Meanwhile, Sapphire suddenly stopped in the hall on the way to their next class. Chris turned, looking concerned.

"Hey, are you alright?" Chris asked. Sapphire just furrowed her brows.

'_I have a bad feeling all of a sudden, but… what for?_' She questioned herself, feeling like a cold blanket was enveloping her.

"Sapphire?" Chris asked again.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, let's get going." She said, walking past him, Blake following, also seeming concerned for the girl's strange change in behavior. Chris watched her for a moment before following cautiously.

A couple hours later, Soul and Maka where in Florida, standing on a rooftop. Soul was in his scythe form and Maka was trying to sense for the witch's soul, brows furrowed in concentration, the wind blowing her pig tails and trench coat tail back. It took a minute, but Maka finally pinpointed her location and took off.

They found the witch in a wide open clearing, sitting there and… crying? Maka readied Soul as she listened to the witch cry.

"Why? After all this death, why'd Mabba-sama … create a truce?" The witch sobbed. "After my daughters were…" Suddenly the witch whirled around with a tear streaked face.

"Witch Liana Gorgon, you are being put under the custody of Shibusen by the order of the Witch Counsel." Maka said, ready for a fight. The witch did indeed look strikingly like the Gorgon sisters, perhaps this is their mother? The witch conjured a spell in her hand and literally threw it at the duo. It grazed past the scythe shaft and hit Maka full in the chest. Maka stumbled back from the impact as the witch ran off.

"Maka, are you alright?!" Soul asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, we need to catch up to her!" Maka declared. It was strange; she really didn't feel any pain. Maka launched herself to her feet, running full speed towards Liana.

Liana ran hard and fast. For a witch, she sure didn't seem very… strong of will like her daughters. Maka chased her and eventually caught up, ultimately knocking the witch down and pinning her arms behind her back. Liana cried and Maka winced, her own heart aching as she listened to this woman.

'_She's just a grieving mother, and I'm not helping things._' She thought guiltily. With the witch apprehended, soul and Maka called Kid while Soul kept an eye on the witch.

"Ah, Maka, did you catch the witch?" Kid said and Maka cringed, still finding it hard to not hear Shinigami-sama's chipper voice whenever she called.

"Yeah, Souls watching her, but Kid-" Maka started.

"I know, she's grieving, but it had to be done before she hurt anyone. She knows who's to be at fault for her daughters deaths, she would have come after you and Soul if we let her roam free." Kid explained. Maka looked down, feeling a bit guilty, but quickly swept the feelings away. No more dwelling in the past for her. "We'll send the witches to come get her, thank you Maka." Kid said and the mirror disconnected.

The witches came and took Maka and Soul back to Shibusen, where they went home. Along the way they ran into Tsubaki and Black*Star coming back from their mission to report back to Kid.

"Oh, hey, did you catch your witch?" Soul asked.

"Mmm… Black*Star practically beat her unconscious. I think he's frustrated by your sister." Tsubaki sighed.

"Ha ha! Just don't go picking a fight with her. She can take anyone out in-" Soul stopped, keeling over at a sudden pain in his chest.

"Hey, are you alright?" Black*Star asked. Maka full out collapsed and Tsubaki caught her. "This isn't good; we need to get them to Stein." Black*Star stated as he slung Souls arm over his shoulder as Tsubaki did the same and they ran the Meister and Weapon to the academy where Stein was currently dealing with another pained student.

"AHHH!" Sapphire writhed in sudden Pain as Stein and Chris tried to hold her down.

"Professor Stein, what's happening to her?!" Chris cried over her shrieks. Stein just furrowed his brows before picking her up and carrying her out the class room as she tried to suppress her screams, Chris following close behind.

Just as they'd exited the classroom Black*Star and Tsubaki came in with a pained Soul and an unconscious Maka.

"Stein, what's wrong with them?" Tsubaki asked hastily.

"I have no idea, but I plan on finding out." Stein said and carried Sapphire to the infirmary, the other five following him in hast. Sapphire had passed out before they even made it to the infirmary and Chris became even more concerned for his new partner.

Stein laid the three on beds and told the others to wait outside and Chris had to stop Blake from walking in, which earned him a snarl from the dog. Chris sat by the door as Maka once had when Soul was getting patched up, fists clenched in his lap in anticipation. Tsubaki took pity on him and sat next to him.

"Hey, I'm Tsubaki. What's your name?" Tsubaki asked, giving him a warm smile.

"Chris." He said, eyes hidden beneath his bangs.

"Are you Sapphires partner?" She questioned. He remained quiet, not moving. Tsubaki looked at the wall across from her.

"It'll be fine. Stein may be a little creepy, but he's the best. Besides, if she's anything like Soul, she'll pull through." Tsubaki said and Chris looked up.

"How do you know?" He asked tentatively.

"Because Soul has pulled through things a lot worse than this. He has a scar that runs from his shoulder to his hip as proof." Tsubaki said, indicating with her finger. Chris relaxed, but immediately tensed when he heard Sapphire scream again. Even Black*Star cringed.

A couple hours later, Chris was still sitting outside the infirmary, Black*Star and Tsubaki had left a while before, when the door finally opened and Before Stein could step out and say anything, Chris zipped past him and was in the room. Maka's hair was flowing free of the pigtails they were in before, Soul looked sickly pale from his usual tan color and Sapphires waist length hair was now free of its loose braid and strands dangled off the bed as all three cringed and sweated in their sleep.

Steins footsteps could be heard behind Chris and he whipped around, a look that promised death if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Give it to me straight, what the hell happened?!" He growled. Stein sighed.

"You remind me a bit of Soul you know. It appears to be a Soul Curse." Stein said and walked passed to sit in the swivel chair.

"A 'Soul Curse'?" Chris asked, tuning and facing the stitched man.

"Yes, it's a curse in which inflicts torture to the cursed ones soul and, if powerful enough, can kill them. It appears Soul and Maka got hit with one before they apprehended the witch. " Stein said.

"Why is it affecting Sapphire?" Chris asked.

"I was getting to that. While just affect the bearer, it appears that this one is also meant to harm the bearers strongest soul links as well." Stein explained. "Since Maka and Soul are partners, they both have been affected, and since Sapphire is Souls younger sister and she's a meister, it only makes sense that it would affect her too."

"Then why isn't it affecting me?" Chris asked.

"You and Sapphire haven't formed a proper bond yet." Stein explained. "Otherwise you'd be writhing in pain too."

"How do we fix this?" Chris asked, his voice growing cold as Stein sat and lit a cigarette.

"Someone needs to go in and push things back into place." Stein muttered. Chris heard and was quiet for a moment.

"Fine, just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it." Chris stated and Stein looked up at the young boy. He didn't need to look very hard to his soul; he was practically bearing it for the world to see. It was jumpy and nervous, but strong and determined at the same time. Stein smiled.

"Are you sure? There's a very high chance that you'll get the curse too and then the people you love will get hurt too."

"There's no one that I could hurt." Stein looked in his eyes. "It's just me. I never had anyone in my life. I've been orphaned my whole life and no one wanted me because I'm a weapon. I'm something that's dangerous. I only came here to learn how to control it and use for good instead of fear." He explained, his face not showing anything other than determination. Stein sighed.

"You still remind of Soul when he was your age. Fine, it'll take a little while to prepare so why don't you-"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here until you're done." He said. And with that he walked to Sapphires bedside, pulled a chair up next to it and sat. Stein smiled as he saw this.

'_Those two are going to be just fine. I can already tell._' Stein thought as Chris fell asleep.

**A/N:** By the way, I thought of that orphan thing JUST NOW! It fits well into what I'm planning though. Hee hee. See ya later!


	4. Sapphires Troubles

**Chapter 4: Sapphires Troubles**

Chris woke up with his head resting next to Sapphire on the hospital bed, whom still looked pained. Chris sat up and looked around the room. Soul still looked sickly pale and Maka was obviously gritting her teeth in pain. Chris was beginning to doubt she was even asleep. He looked to where Stein had been the night before, who had just conveniently decided to drop in that moment.

"Ah, Chris, you're awake. Are you ready to get started?" Stein asked, closing the door behind him. Chris sat up and nodded. Stein smiled, took his seat in the wheeled chair again and rolled over to him.

"Fair warning, this process will not only cause Sapphire excruciating pain, but you as well." Stein informed him.

"And why's that?" Chris couldn't help but ask.

"This will forcefully create a resonance link between you and your meister. That added to the fact that you're wedging your way into her soul, it's not going to be fun." Stein explained. "But it _is_ the only available option for us right now. It will allow you two to skip certain lessons as well."

"I'll do whatever it takes." Chris muttered.

"Another thing, once you enter her soul, you might not be able to see much. That is the experience she's missed out on her whole life. But don't worry, once you travel along the soul links between the three of them, it'll pass." Stein added quickly.

"Hold on, if I have to create a resonance link with Sapphire to do this, don't I have to with Soul and Maka as well?" Chris asked quickly.

"No, like I said, you'll be traveling along the links, but you'll still be resonating with Sapphire to do it." Stein explained. Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath and mulled it over in his head.

'_Excruciating pains, fix the problems, travel along the soul links, and get out. It sounds simple enough._' Chris thought and opened his eyes.

"I'm ready." Chris said, bracing himself. Stein smiled again.

"Good, now put your hand in hers and we can begin." Stein said, summoning soul particles into the palms of his hands. Chris took Sapphires hand in his and held tight. Suddenly Stein hit Chris and Sapphire in their chests and Chris felt like there was fire coursing through his veins and ripping him apart cell by tiny cell. His own screams mixed with Sapphires ringed in his ears as his soul was tied to hers and he tumbled into it.

When he woke he felt like he was floating. He couldn't see a damn thing. It was dark enough that he couldn't even see his hand as he touched his nose. Then Steins words ran through his head again.

'_Once you enter her soul, you might not be able to see much. That is the experience she's missed out on her whole life._' Chris repeated in his head until he felt solid ground beneath his feat. He must have been floating down the whole time!

Once he took a step forward it felt strange, like something was… moving beneath his feet, like small tremors almost. He took another step and felt it again and he could almost tell exactly where they got interrupted or moved up or down.

'_This must be one of the ways Sapphire is able to "see" things._' Chris thought as he took more steps. Suddenly he felt other smaller tremors coming from somewhere in front of him and he heard… crying? No, it sounded closer to whimpering. He walked toward the sound; the shaking was coming from there too.

The closer he got, the more he could distinguish the sobbing sounds as Sapphires voice. He cringed, remembering that she should be in a lot of pain right now. Suddenly it sounded like the room was crumbling as Sapphire screamed out. He had to find out what was out of place, and fast, but how? He couldn't see a damn thing! Suddenly, Sapphire jumped.

"W-who's there?" She called out, forcing the trembling from her voice.

"It's me, Sapphire." Chris heard from the darkness… he'd heard his own voice.

"Chris? I-is that really…? Y-you have to get out of here! It's not-" She cried.

"You know what's funny? That you believed I wanted to be your partner!" The fake laughed suddenly and Sapphire froze. The room trembled again, like it was being crushed.

'_What, no, Sapphire, that's not true!_' Chris tried to call out, but he found that his voice was gone.

"W-what are you talking about? Why would you-" She tried to speak.

"To see the look on your face! Man you should have seen it!" The Phony cackled. "Oh! Wait, that's right, you can't! You're blind!" The room was starting to feel smaller than when he'd first entered.

'_No, Sapphire, that's not me!_' Chris desperately tried to call out, but with no luck.

"H-how could you-" She tried to speak again, her voice getting shaky.

"I'm surprised the school even accepted you as a meister in the first place! What good is a meister if she can't see her foes? What _good_ is a blind meister to me?" The Phony finished off. Sapphire just clenched her fists and bowed her head, trembling with anger as the room got continuously smaller with each mocking sentence.

"…No." Chris suddenly spoke. Sapphires head snapped up.

"What? What do you mean no?" She asked.

"It's not true, any of it, so just shut the hell up." The real Chris gritted through his teeth and his arm unconsciously turned into a blade. "You know NOTHING about me. You're a fake, you're not me, and you can't possibly know what I feel!" He said, lunging to where he heard his target and attempting to hit him. He missed.

"Oh, but don't I? You must feel the doubt of her being a meister, the irony in a blind wielder? It must be a joke that she's a meister with her disability." The fake said with the smile audible in his voice. Chris was silent and Sapphire bowed her head in disappointment.

'_So it's no different here. I'm still resented because of my sight._' She thought, putting a hand over her eye.

"… I couldn't care less." He said, causing both the fake and Sapphire to widen their eyes in surprise. "So what if she's blind? That doesn't mean she's not a person. That doesn't mean she can't be a meister… _my_ meister. _I'm_ the one who chose _her_. I'm the one who knew she had what it takes to wield a weapon!" Chris declared. Sapphire could feel tears welling in her eyes of both embarrassment and relief.

"Who cares if she can't see, she's _my_ meister and no one, not even you, is going to change my mind!" Chris shouted and lunged again. The fake had to dodge quickly as Chris spoke again. "If she can't wield a sword, I'll guide her through it!" He cried as he swung again. "If she' doesn't know where the enemy is, I'll tell her exactly where to swing!" He said as he struck again, this time digging his blade into the enemy's side, feeling the thick crimson liquid seep onto the blade.

"Why you-" The fake choked.

"I made a promise to her brother, and I_ will protect her!_" Chris shouted as he pushed his blade deeper into the enemy and the fake coughed blood. "NO MATTER WHAT!" Chris cried one last time as he sliced the apparition in half. The fake disappeared as well as his blood and Chris panted. Sapphire was standing in amazement as she'd listened to Chris's speech, the tears streaming down her face.

"…Are you alright?" Chris panted as he returned his arm to normal.

"Y-yeah… thanks." She said, suddenly feeling a little weary. Chris heard the weakening in her voice, but ignored it as he walked over and hugged her to his chest. She gripped the back of his shirt and buried her face in his chest, soaking part of the shirt with her tears. They stood there for a moment before Sapphire suddenly went limp in his arms.

"H-hey! Sapphire, hold on!" He said, hurriedly catching her and laying her on the ground. She seemed to be asleep and enjoying it so Chris decided to leave her be and move on.

"Now then, soul link, where are you?" He muttered to himself. He suddenly heard something building in front of him. He set his hand on something that felt like a railing and put his foot on a board that creaked.

"Huh, well that was easy." He muttered as he began crossing the bridge into Souls soul, thinking along the way.

'_This curse is really something. While it may harm the bearers physical form, the soul can't feel it so it also causes emotional pain through their doubts and uncertainties... I'm just curious what I'll see next._' Chris thought as he emerged into the death scythes Soul.

His vision slowly came back and what he saw he would have never have expected to see in the shark toothed death scythes head... ever.

**A/N:** Hey guys, here's the next chapter, hope I did good. He first couple tries I thought were kind of stupid so I thought I'd change them up a bit. Here ya go! A special thanks to the guest that came up with a shipping name for Sapphire and Chris. I thought that Chrisire was very cute. ^_^ See ya next time in 'The Black Rooms Fight'.


	5. The Fight in the Black Room

**Chapter 5: The Fight in the Black Room**

Four.

That's how many blurry figures where surrounding the older boy. Three blurry, slim figures accompanied by a tall, broad shouldered, dressed in black figure that where all surrounding a shock of white hair dressed in a black and red suit that Chris could barely make out as Soul.

'_What the hell?_' Chris thought as he squinted to try and see the people standing in this Black and Red room they were all standing amidst.

As his vision cleared, Chris could make out some more details. The three that were identical were all doing different things. One was stumbling around, as if they were drunk and giggling like a lunatic as their coat seemed to be long and rigid, like it was alive, almost.

The next was sitting there, a hand on their hip as they stared at Soul, and Chris could make out a serious type look printed on their face.

The third was… standing uncomfortably close to the fourth, hand on their chest and giggling like a girl in love or something and Soul was standing there with his eyes hidden beneath his bangs.

"I feel like hell." A grumble came from Chris's left. He jumped and snapped his head around to see a small imp of a demon sitting on top of a black… piano? "That damned witch ought to pay for what she's done." The demon grumbled as sweat trickled down his face.

"Uhh… who are you?" Chris asked warily, backing into the red curtain behind him.

"I'm the Black Blood in an assumed form that is trying to save and plunge Soul Evans into madness, who are you?" The demon answered annoyed.

"Christopher Lawrence, his sisters' weapon. What's Black Blood?" Chris asked, looking at the demon strangely but relaxing.

"Exactly how it sounds. I was created by a witch to be fused with a weapon and injected into her son to create the perfect Kishin. Soul got hurt; his blood mixed with Black Blood, a bit of me got stuck here. What's your excuse?" The demon asked, looking exhausted.

"To get rid of the witches' soul curse so I can help Sapphire, Soul and Maka." Chris answered.

"Ugh, this scene is making me sick." The demon said, turning back to the five standing in the middle of the room. Chris turned and had two separate reactions.

One, he was happy that his vision was returned to normal. Two, completely shocked that there, stood a pained Soul, dressed in a Black pinstriped suit with Red dress shirt and a Black tie, surrounded by three Maka's and a Shinigami.

"What in the name of Shinigami…?" Chris stared wide eyed at the scene before him.

"Soul is afraid of these four things. Maka going insane and him incapable of doing anything about it, Maka wanting to leave him and end their weapon meister relationship, and he's afraid she's in _love_ with Kid." The drawled out the word 'love' disgustedly. And so far, it appeared to be true.

The first that had the lively coat did, indeed, look completely insane. Her pupils where dilated and she had a rigid smile as she kept one eye half closed as she said something about a figure on the floor being asleep.

The next with the serious look was saying something sternly about not wanting to be his partner anymore and that she doesn't want to stay partners with a lying, cheating, and unreliable man.

The last pair where just giggling and shoving it in his face that they were happy as can be. That she'd found someone who gave her everything she could ever want.

Soul Eater Evans, the _Last_ Death Scythe, is afraid basically of losing his meister. '_Wait, four?_' Chris thought.

"But most of all he's afraid of Maka dying." The demon said, nearly throwing up. Chris looked around the group, but saw no dying Maka. Then, as realization came to his face, he dared to let his eyes drift to the ground where the still figure was.

There, lying lifeless in a pool of dark crimson was Maka, the color contrasting sickeningly with her deathly pale skin. She was sprawled on the floor at Soul's feet as Soul dared to let a single tear fall from his shadowed eyes onto her blank face.

"And I feel every last sickening emotion in this stupid scene." The demon gasped as he looked even more ill by the second. "Not to mention this damned soul curse is putting me through hell."

Chris stared at the scene before him, completely dumbfounded as to what he could do. This wasn't like Sapphire; her fear was something he could show her would never happen. How could he convince Soul that none of the things around him would happen?

"Soul! Let's play hide and seek! You hide and I'll seek!" The crazy Maka giggled as she turned her head just about upside down.

"I only made you my partner in the first place because you were a _scythe_. I just wanted to make a more powerful scythe than my father and become a better meister than my mother." The other Maka said sternly. "Don't take it personally, but my mission is accomplished." Soul clenched his fists at his sides.

"I love you Kid!" The third squealed and Soul clenched his teeth.

"AHHH!" He cried, transformed his arm into a scythe and sliced the lovers in half and they turned to dust.

"Well that's one way to deal with it." Chris thought aloud, sighing at the death scythe before him, refraining from laughing.

It wasn't hard after what happened next. Suddenly the other three (Yes, even the dead one) went ape shit and attacked Soul from behind.

"And that's one way to snap him out of it." The demon said as Chris ran forward and ripped one of the Maka's off of him, successfully getting all of their attention away from Soul.

"Shit." Chris mumbled as he transformed his arm into a blade again. Soul noticed how oddly formed it was. It was large at the shoulder and as it moved to the sharp tip it shifted, thinned and branched off, almost like…

Almost like a flame.

How was he here, anyway?

Chris attacked one of the Maka's and she summoned a black scythe to block, along with the other Maka's.

The crazy one stumbled a moment before charging and attempting to slice Chris in half but he jumped into the air, using the scythe as leverage and kicked that Maka in the face, sending her flying to the other side of the room.

"Are going to just stand there, or are you going to help!?" Chris shouted in a hurried tone as he dodged an attack from the bloody and pale Maka. Soul snapped from his pondering and shook his head as he got in a ready stance.

He charged the crazy Maka who took a swipe at him and he ducked as low as he could, which was low enough to prevent getting his head sliced off.

Chris then stabbed her from the back and she practically disintegrated, but not before taking a swipe at Chris.

He dodged, but couldn't get out of the way fast enough. The scythe grazed his arm, leaving a deep enough gash that he cringed in pain.

"Chris, are you alright?!" Soul asked as he blocked an attack from a darkening dead Maka.

"Ugh! I'll be fine!" He replied as he took a swipe at the only Maka that seemed fairly normal. Oddly enough, she was beginning to darken too in skin. And her eyes were fading from Emerald green to bright red.

She dodged and aimed for his head, which he quickly blocked and there blades pushed against one another. She smirked at him evilly and pushed harder, forcing him to bend down on one knee and use his other hand to support his blade turned arm.

Soul was having his own battle of power with the dead Maka. His blade was locked with hers and she was leaning in dangerously close to his face and bearing probably the scariest smirk he had ever seen on his meisters face. Then again, her skin was practically pitch black by now.

She leaned in close enough that they were practically nose to nose and she licked his cheek. Soul leaped away from the shadowy Maka figure before him in surprise. She lifted her head to peer in his eyes with her bright red ones as his cheek began to bleed.

"GAH!" Chris cried, causing Soul to whip around and he saw Chris with a scythe lodged in his side, being blocked from moving further inside him due to both hands gripping the shaft firmly and pushing it away. He glared at the shadow before him as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Soul charged that shadow, forgetting about the one behind him and she jumped back, ripping the scythe out of Chris and causing it to make the wound larger.

"Damn you!" Soul shouted as he swiped at the shadow too fast for it to dodge and it disappeared as it was split in half.

He was breathing a little hard and didn't notice the looming figure behind him.

"Soul!" Chris called out and he whipped around, but Chris was faster and ran the shadow through.

It turned to dust as he sat there, clutching his bleeding side and panting as his arm returned to normal and he dropped his hand.

"Idiot, why'd you go and nearly get yourself killed?! What are you even doing here?!" Soul scolded and kneeled down to get a good look at the wound in Chris's side.

"Keh, I'm here because either you or Maka had a soul curse cast on you. It's a curse that causes your soul and body to undergo excruciating pain, apparently not just physical either." Chris explained.

"That still doesn't explain how and why you're here." Soul said as he glared at Chris's face.

"I'm getting to that. This soul curse also targets the bearer's strongest soul resonance links, making the radius of people harmed even larger. In this case, you, Maka and Sapphire were all affected. That's why I'm here, as to how, Stein had me and Sapphire create a forced resonance link. I'm resonating with her in order to get rid of the curse before it kills all of you." Chris explained. Soul stared dumbfounded. "In short, I reassure your souls of doubts and fears, eradicate the curse in doing so, travel along the links between you three and help you all."

"So, who's left?" Soul asked.

"I just came from Sapphire so just Maka." Chris replied, standing up so he could move forward. However, as soon as he took a single step he collapsed and Soul checked on him. He was unconscious.

Soul sighed and patted his head before standing up.

"You rest up, I'll handle Maka." He said, looking to the curtain that Maka always walked from when they resonated. He walked to it and took a breath before stepping through, into Maka's soul.

**A/N: **Done! Sorry if that wasn't very good, it's a quarter after 1 in the morning right now, so I'm kinda tired. Then again it IS spring break sooo…. Hope you enjoyed! Please please PLEASE Review! Really appreciate it!


	6. Trouble in Paradise

**Chapter 6:**** Trouble in paradise**

Though they've been partners for years, Soul has never been inside Maka's soul. To be honest, he was kind of curious. He'd tried to imagine what it would like as a bridge continuously built in front of him from the darkness under his feet.

Maka does have a grigori soul, so would it be a white room? Or would it be like living inside the clouds maybe? Maybe it's somewhere she feels content and safe, somewhere she thinks as home.

'_Agh! What would be like home to Maka?! She doesn't feel safe anywhere… right?_' Soul had to ponder that. She hates her dad, so his place is a no go. At the apartment they're always arguing. There was no physical place she was content, and he'd know, he has to watch her 24/7… or that's what he tells himself.

He recalled a time he'd asked where she thought her home was during one of their bad arguments. Her expression had immediately softened. She almost looked hurt. But then she looked at the floor and smiled lightly.

'_I'm not sure of that myself._' She'd said and looked up at him, all the anger from before had washed away. Though she was smiling, it didn't reach her eyes. '_It's like that saying says, my home is where ever my heart is._' She smiled a little wider.

Soul smiled softly at the memory. Even after all this time, he still couldn't figure out what she was talking about. Damn bookworm.

He snapped from his thoughts as a door came into view. It was white with some chipped paint and scratch marks at the bottom. It looked strikingly like their apartment door. His eyes widened as the paint peeled a bit further.

A bead of sweat slipped down his temple as he hesitantly gripped the handle.

'_What's wrong with you!? It's not like it's her bedroom!_' He mentally yelled at himself. '_You're right, it's far more private…_' He gulped hard and twisted the handle, opening it a crack. A small light fell out as he opened it further.

What he saw he could never have expected.

The whole room wasn't even a room. There were white cherry blossoms all over the place, their petals being blown around by the wind and people were laughing and cheering, all dressed in white. He could distinctly hear Black*Stars voice above all the rest. Everyone was dressed in white, congratulating a recently married couple, he couldn't tell who though.

'_What's so bad about this?_' He questioned as he scanned the area for Maka. He noticed one lone figure that stuck out like a sore thumb sitting on the bench, separated from the rest, her back to him. He immediately recognized the black trench coat she wore most of the time.

She looked like she was ready to cry, her shoulders starting to shake, one of the signs Soul recognized as her trying to hold her tears back. He wanted more than anything to rush to her side and interrogate her of what's wrong. To let her cry on his shoulder. Though it next to never happened, he was always ready to let her cry on him.

He made a step toward her but the scenery quickly changed and suddenly they were back at school, and this one caught him off-guard more than the last one.

Soul witnessed himself standing in front of Maka, or at least a mental version of himself, with his arm around one of the girls from his "Fan club" and smiling down at Maka in a way that unsettled him. Maka knew exactly what this was.

"… Why?" She rasped in an already choked voice.

"It's nothing personal, I just think that maybe a change is needed. I'm kinda getting tired of doing all the work. I'll see you later, when I come by to pick up my stuff." He waved with a sickeningly kind smile. Soul stood there with wide eyes.

'_What the hell?! Does she actually think I'd do that to her!_' Soul shouted.

"_I have to reassure your souls of doubts and fears, before it kills you._' Chris's voice rang through his head.

'_She's scared I'd leave her like that? Why would I ever do that!?_' He griped in his head, his fists clenching in knuckle whitening fists. He caught the triumphant smirk the Fan girl threw at Maka. He clenched his teeth. '_Do they do that in reality too? Next time I see one of those annoying girls, I'm gonna…_'

Soul watched as the room shifted again. It was dark all around. Maka was looking around, standing to her feet. Another Soul apparition faded into view from the black, along with everyone else behind him, meaning Tsubaki, Black*star, Liz, Patty, Kid, and Crona. Hell, even Sapphire and Chris were there! She sighed in relief and began walking towards them, they all had a welcoming smile on their faces, beckoning her forward.

Steadily, they all began to crumble and blow away in the wind. Maka's eyes widened and she ran to them as fast as she could. Their smiles never faltered.

"No, wait, please!" She cried. Everyone was blowing away and Maka had tears streaking down her face already.

"Wait, Maka!" He shouted, snapping from his stupor. She didn't hear him and kept running. He chased after her.

The apparition him was the last to go. He held his hand out for Maka as he began to crumble as well. Maka ran faster, desperately trying to reach him. Soul had to grab her hand and pull her back to him, his arm holding her by her waist. She didn't even hesitate to struggle, pounding on his arms and pushing as hard as she could away from him.

"No! I have to get to him, I have to-!"

"Maka, look at me! I'm right here! Maka!" He snapped and she stopped struggling to carefully turn and look up at his face. "I'm right here…" He said softer, loosening his grip on her waist as he saw her relax and dropping his forehead on her shoulder. Maka could feel his wavelength. He was the real one. What was he doing here? How long has he been here?

She couldn't ponder very long as she suddenly felt very tired and Soul felt her go limp in his arms. He fell to the ground with her, keeping her in his arms and laying her head on his lap.

"Baka, you stress too much, and look what happens…" he muttered and brushed her bangs from her face. He sighed and gently set her head down, standing up himself.

As soon as he turned to leave he saw something he thought he wouldn't for a long while.

Three large, kishin eyes were suddenly staring back at him.

He jumped up, panting and sweating. His senses took a moment but he slowly was more aware of his surroundings.

He was in the dispensary, lying in a hospital bed, the black moon shining palely through the window. Maka was in the bed to his right and Sapphire to his left, Chris lying his head on the bed and gripping her hand, grimacing in his sleep until he jolted awake too. His eyes slowly focused on Souls pale face.

"Hey, welcome back." Chris said groggily. Soul turned back to Maka.

'_...What the hell was that? A fear?_' Soul asked himself. '_Or something else?_' He asked himself. Sapphire groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She sat up.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"In the infirmary." Chris replied, making her jump.

"Whoa!? How did you-?!" She stuttered. Chris laughed.

"Been here the whole time." He smiled. She pouted at the sound of his laughing voice. They started talking as Maka woke up. Soul eyed her cautiously.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" He asked her. She nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"Chris, why does my chest hurt?" Sapphire suddenly asked.

"Stein forced a resonance link between us so I could help you guys!" He said cheerily. Maka smiled at the two, as they talked about things she didn't bother listening to.

Soul relaxed. There was nothing obviously wrong with her, but those eyes… he had a bad feeling about this whole ordeal. He felt like they'd have to face something terrible pretty soon.

The death scythe couldn't have been more right.

* * *

**A/N:** Here you go! Sorry if it seems rushed. I want to update as many of my storys as possible as soon as possible! Not too hard, considering I just have four. ^_^ I also had a bit of writers block for this and forced through it. Hope you enjoyed and **PLEASE** like and review! Love you guys!

~**Angel**


	7. BlackStar vs Sapphire

**Chapter 7: ****Black*Star vs. Sapphire**

Kid was organizing all the student profiles, organizing them alphabetically and symmetrically (of course) while Liz was looking through them and deciding on her bets of strength in partnership and fights.

Kid looked up from his organizing and around the room but only saw one weapon. "Hey, where'd Patty go?" He asked.

"It's the middle of the night Kid, where do you think she is?" Liz replied sadly, still shuffling through files. Kid looked at her.

"Hey…" Liz looked up at him. "She'll be alright. We have to believe that." Kid replied. Liz nodded, but didn't lift her expression. Kid sighed and stood up. Liz looked up in surprise as he snaked his arm around her shoulder and held her in a one armed hug. Liz smiled softly, leaning into his embrace.

"Thanks Kid." She said. He smiled.

"Maybe you should take Patty home, I've got it from here." He said, letting her go and standing up.

"Are you sure?" She asked, craning her neck to look at him in the face.

"Yes, Elizabeth, now go get some sleep." He ordered. She reluctantly nodded, stood up and went to go get Patty.

Said girl was standing out front, eyes to the night sky. More specifically the black moon. Liz walked out and stood next to her sister.

"Patty?" She asked carefully. The twin gun tensed before relaxing again, not moving her gaze.

"…Is it silly that I'm so hurt like this?" She asked. Liz sighed and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Not at all." She responded and looked up to the moon too. Though no one knew it, Patty had taken to Crona just about immediately. She felt sad for Crona and visited him while he was at shibusen. Sometimes she even walked with him around the school. She was always peppy and trying to lift his spirits. When she first saw him smile, she felt so relieved. Then he left again, disappeared and she could only hope they'd find him. She thought of herself as his friend, but when he'd sacrificed himself for everyone's sakes, she had realized it went deeper than that. She acted like she usually did, like she didn't understand what was happening. But now, nearly a year later, she's matured quite a bit and her childish façade is just that, a façade. It had become harder to maintain that giddy smile.

And their friends are aware of this too.

"Come on Patty, let's go home." Liz said, putting her arm around her sister, gently guiding her home. Patty nodded, tears in the corners of her eyes and walking home, watching her feet the whole way.

_**The next morning**_

Sapphire and Soul were discharged, but Stein wanted Chris and Maka to stay for further examination.

"I'll be fine Soul, go home and rest, I'll be there later." Maka urged after her partner had insisted to wait outside for her. Soul huffed, not budging. Sapphire rolled her eyes at the bickering two and grabbed Souls arm.

"Come on huffy puppy, I need help getting home." Sapphire said and groped for the door handle. Soul groaned, seeing her point and opened the door for her, pushing her through.

"If something happens, Stein, you come get me, got it?" Soul said. Stein flipped his thumb up at the boy and smiled.

"Geez, hurry up slow poke!" Sapphire called. Soul left, grumbling something about annoying sisters. Stein turned to Maka.

"What?" She asked. He ignored her and turned to Chris.

"You need to rest." He stated flatly. Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked.

"Your soul was injured. And don't bother denying it, I have soul perception, remember?" Chris slumped down, immediately wincing and clutching his chest. He pursed his lips in defeat.

"Fine, I see what you mean." He said and fell back exasperatedly. Stein turned to Maka.

"You still have a trace of the soul curse." He stated. Maka slumped. "Based on what you all told me, I'd say something else happened that you don't want your partner to know." Chris was looking at them with one eye open, hands behind his head.

"It's… private." She said.

"So private you can't tell Soul?" Stein asked skeptically. She fiddled with her hands. Stein understood. "I see. You really should talk to someone about this." Stein said, taking a drag from his cigarette. Maka snapped her head up.

"I'm not telling him!" She snapped.

"I didn't say tell him, I said tell _someone_. This will just get worse unless you get some sort of reassurance." Stein said. Maka relaxed again.

"I-I guess I could talk to Tsubaki about it…" She replied.

"Sounds good. Now then, go home and get some rest. Chris, you should too." Chris looked away from them.

"Yeah sure, soon as I find one." He mumbled. Maka looked at him, surprised.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maka asked.

"Nothing. Let's go." He said, carefully sitting up and moving out the door.

"Chris." Stein called. He stopped at the door. "You know, when partnerships are formed, they usually have to share a room." Chris looked up at Stein. "And I'm sure Sapphire will need help with her rent, living all alone like that." Stein smiled. Chris widened his eyes and blushed at the thought of sharing an apartment with a girl. He nodded in understanding.

"I'll ask her about it." He replied and dashed out the door. Maka laughed.

"…Hey, what'd he mean by 'as soon as I find one'?" Maka asked.

"It's not my story to tell. He'll open up when he's ready." Stein said, pushing his glasses up his nose and spinning to his desk. Maka shrugged and walked out the door.

_**With Soul and Sapphire**_

"Okay pouty puppy, what's wrong?" Sapphire asked. Soul had been unusually quiet this whole time. He didn't reply. Sapphire smirked. "Are you worried about Maaaaka?" She asked, side stepping into him and shoving him with her shoulder. He was still quiet. Sapphire frowned. "Now you're really worrying me, what's wrong?" She asked.

"…I think that Stein asked Maka to stay behind because she's still got the curse." Soul replied.

"Why's that?" She asked.

"There's one thing I saw that I couldn't figure out. It looked like a wedding and Maka was sitting alone on a bench. She looked like she was crying." Soul replied.

"Hmm…" Sapphire thought. Then she smiled. "Who was getting married?" She asked.

"Don't know." He shrugged.

"Hmm..." She hummed again.

"What do you know?" He immediately asked.

"Just a thought, but maybe she likes someone. It's natural to feel scared that someone you like isn't going to reciprocate your feelings and choose someone else." Sapphire giggled. Soul growled. "Now what'd I do?" She asked.

"Nothing, just… thinking." He replied. Sapphire blinked then smirked at the sound of his voice.

"You Liiiike her." She teased and Soul covered her mouth as she laughed maniacally.

"So what?" He snapped in a hushed voice. She licked his palm and he jumped back, wiping his hand on his jeans.

"Sooo," She began. "You're jealous!" She giggled.

"Wha?!"

"Jeal-ous! You're angered at the thought she might like someone else!" She exclaimed happily.

"Am not!" He protested.

"Are too! Don't even try hiding it from me, I can read you like an audio book!" She said.

"No idea what you're taking about! Besides, Maka doesn't trust men, in any way, shape or form." He said stubbornly.

"We'll just see~." She sang and skipped ahead, humming happily. He shook his head. '_She's such a kid sometimes._' He thought and followed after her.

Sapphire knew something was still bothering him, but she thought one accusation was enough for now. She'd ask about it later. She could tell they were approaching the front door.

"YO! SOUL, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU GOT DISCHARGED?!" A loud voice suddenly shouted from behind them, causing Sapphire to wince as her sensitive ears picked it up.

"I just got out and had to show her out." Soul said bluntly, gesturing to Sapphire as Black*Star came running up to them.

"You!" He stated, pointing an accusing finger at Sapphire as Tsubaki came running up.

"Who, me?" Sapphire asked. Black*Star looked insulted.

"You're the one I'm pointing at!" He proclaimed.

"Black*Star…" Tsubaki started exasperatedly.

"Sorry, can't see much. My names Sapphire for future reference." She replied with a smile, not bothering to turn her head in his direction.

Black*Star hadn't heard her comment. "Look at your god when he's speaking to you!" He proclaimed.

"Didn't I _just_ say I can't see?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't believe you!" He yelled. "If your sight was that bad you wouldn't have gotten the drop on me the other day!"

"What'd you say?" She asked, her expression turning dark, finally turning to face him.

"Black*Star, I wouldn't recommend getting on her bad side." Soul sighed, stepping from the line of fire, knowing that expression all too well.

"Black*Star, please don't start another fight…" Tsubaki pleaded.

"Let's take this outside." He smirked, ignoring Soul and Tsubaki, staring straight at his opponent. She glared at nothing, not even looking him in the face. That really pissed him off.

"Sure loud mouth, seems like you want to get your ass whooped, anyway." She said darkly, still furrowing her brows. She turned and started walking towards the door. Black*Star followed close behind and Soul sighed as Tsubaki sweat dropped.

"Go get Stein, one of them is gonna need a doctor when this is done, if not both." Soul said and Tsubaki nodded running to the nurse's office.

Black*Star stopped right by the steps as Sapphire moved to the steps leading down from shibusen and turned.

"You sure you wanna fight me? I once defeated the shinigami with my hands in my pockets." Black*Star asked, smirking as she faked a look of shock.

"Big deal! I doubt you could beat _me_ with hands in your pockets, and don't even bother trying!" She stated. Black*Star frowned and lunged.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" He called. She stood completely still.

"And here we go." Soul said as Stein, Tsubaki, Chris and Maka came outside.

Maka was about to ask what was going on when she saw Sapphire dodge a punch from Black*Star at the last second easily. She grabbed him by the back of shirt and shoved his face to the ground. He caught himself on his hands and kicked in the air, nearly kicking her in the chin. She leaned back and took a step back.

"Keh, lucky shot, won't happen again." Black*star growled.

"Less talking, more kicking!" She called as she ducked and attempted to trip him. He jumped over her head and tried punching her. She moved to the side and grabbed his arm. She flipped him over her back. He landed on his back but grabbed her arm as well and threw her to the ground to his right. They both jumped up instantly and dashed at each other. She caught his fist and attempted to kick him in the face. He caught her ankle and she smirked, flipping him on the ground and stepping on his shoulder. He flipped her over onto the ground next to him and jumped up. When he turned around she was gone.

He looked around hurriedly. She's not to his left, not his right and not behind him. He looked up and just barley evaded her foot in his head.

"Wow, they're pretty evenly matched." Maka said, surprised as they continued their brawl. Chris and Tsubaki were staring dumbfounded as well. Soul was watching calmly.

"She's always been like that. Can't tell you where she learned to fight like that, but her strength is why I thought she'd be a meister. Either that or a hammer." He smirked.

Black*Star palmed Sapphire in the middle of her chest and she gasped at the shock of pain that shot through her. She jumped back as far as she could and took a quick breather.

"That may be so, but she's still healing from the damage inflicted on her soul." Stein said, furrowing his brows.

"What, did I hurt you little girl?!" Black*Star taunted. He dashed forward and Sapphire had to jump away again. Though she couldn't see his attack she could hear his steel toed boots. They hummed in the wind and thumped with every step. She could hear the wind rush past him too. She knew that ego had to come from somewhere, guess he was extremely confident in his abilities. She took a deep breath clutching her chest and lunged forward. She had to finish this quickly.

She aimed a punch at his face and he caught it, like she knew he would. She aimed her knee to the one weakness all men shared while he aimed a punch to her stomach. They hit simultaneously and both dropped to the ground, clutching the injured areas and breathing hard.

"Black*Star!" Tsubaki called worriedly, running forward, Chris running to Sapphire. "Are you alright?" Tsubaki asked worriedly. Black*Star didn't reply, just sat up and stared at Sapphire as she sat up, rubbing stomach and trying to calm Chris down.

"Hey." He said, catching Sapphires attention.

"What?" She asked. He held his hand out.

"Nice moves." He commented. She widened her eyes for a moment, before standing and holding her hand out.

"Not bad yourself." She smirked. He took her hand and they smiled.

"We should fight again sometime." He said. She nodded in agreement while the other five sweat dropped.

"Oh, and just for the record," She started. He looked at her face. "A. My name is Sapphire. I'm Souls younger sister and B. I AM blind." She smiled and walked back to Soul again, leaving Black*Star with a gaping mouth.

Soul patted her head as she walked up to them. "It's still really scary how you do that." He laughed.

"I'd never have thought…" Maka trailed off with a smile on her face. Sapphire smiled.

"I swear, you two remind me of what parents SHOULD be like." She laughed and they blushed.

"L-let's get you home." Soul mumbled and walked away. Chris looked at Sapphires triumphant grin as she and Maka followed close behind. '_So she knows too. Soul loves Maka._' Chris thought and followed them.

"Hey, Sapphire?" He asked.

"What?" She asked.

"Stein told me that, um… partners have to share an apartment." Chris said quietly. Sapphire heard him perfectly.

"Did he? Well, guess you'll have to pack your things then, won't you?" She said and he looked up at her. She smiled sweetly. Soul smirked as he remembered how outraged Maka was when she'd first learned that.

"Oi, Chris, no funny business in that apartment." Soul teased.

"Wha-?! Why would I-?!" Soul and Maka laughed at their embarrassed faces and just continued walking in silence, arms linked with each others.

**A/N:** Hey! I just had to have a whole battle scene between them. After all, she did just about smash his face to the ground in the second chapter. Hee hee… REVIEW!


	8. Lingering Pain and Needed Reassurance

**Chapter 8:**** Lingering Pain and Needed Reassurance**

"How are you able to fully transform into a weapon?" Chris asked suddenly, startling the death scythe.

"W-wha? What kind of question is that?" Soul asked, staring at the underling bewilderedly. Chris sat there, looking embarrassed and staring at his feet. They were currently in the Albarn/Evans residence. Sapphire and Maka were out for the afternoon leaving their respective weapons to sit around, twiddle their thumbs and watch TV.

"You mean to tell me you don't know how to transform?" Soul asked, chuckling lightly.

"Well, sort of. I mean, the handle is there but just… no blade…" Chris said. Soul raised an eyebrow.

"Show me." He said and Chris obliged, transforming. He laid on the couch in his somewhat weapon form. There were no body parts that were incapable of transforming like with some newbies, but it was definitely present what the problem was.

The form was, indeed lacking in a blade. It looked strangely like a dragon's head, jaws clamped shut and glaring at supposedly nothing, the neck sticking straight out, more than likely the grip.

"Oh, that's just sad." Soul shook his head. "You had a blade when you transformed your arm, what the hell happened?"

"I don't know!" Chris's voice echoed from the length of metal. "I've been able to transform my limbs but when I go for the full change…" He trailed off.

"Man, I don't know what to tell ya." Soul sighed, leaning his head on his hand. Chris sighed.

"What am I gonna do?! She's supposed to wield me tomorrow for a quick exorcise and I don't want to embarrass her." Chris complained.

"If you think that'd get her down, let me tell you, it takes a lot, and I mean a _lot_ to make her feel down. It's easier to tick her off." Soul said, eyeing the current boy turned weapon with curiosity. "Do you know what kind of weapon you're supposed to be?"

"A type of demon sword. Everyone in my family is always a sword with an extra trick." Chris responded.

"You mean like Tsubaki's family and their ability to turn into several different weapons?" Soul asked.

"Mmm, sort of. It's a similar prospect and is handed down from parent to child, but it depends on what family you're from. In my family we get a sort of ability to control a certain element. It's never clear what element though, it varies." Chris explained.

"Hmm… you think you can open the dragon's mouth?" Soul asked Chris.

"Huh? Uh… I don't know, I've never tried." Chris replied.

"Try it out." Soul said, standing up in case his inkling was correct. Chis hesitated for a moment before the jaws suddenly snapped open and the blade sprang out in a way that made Soul jump back in surprise.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" Soul exclaimed as he inspected the blade. "Man, if Sapphire could only see this." Soul said. Chris's face appeared in the reflection.

"How the hell was _this_ hiding in that tiny little handle?!" Chris cried out in just as much surprise and awe.

"No idea, but man, you're gonna blow that whole class away tomorrow." Soul commented with a smirk.

He was right. The very next day, their class was taken outside with Soul and Maka as representatives.

"Alright, as you already know, today we'll be seeing just how well you respond to your partner's wavelength. As you know, you have to be able to respond to your partners movements in the equivalent manner. For example, Soul, Maka, if you'd please?" Sid said as he stepped out of the way. They nodded and Soul transformed, landing in Maka's hands.

Chris watched in amazement as Soul moved without her doing or saying anything, swinging and twirling around her hands and body, without her having to move an inch.

"The weapon can move with no applied force, as shown here." Sid said. "But things like that are only used when the weapon wants to defend the meister. The attacks are made with their combined efforts." Sid said and Maka quickly grabbed Soul, moving gracefully through the expanse of trees and finally landing a blow on a nearby tree.

She stood up straight and for a moment, it didn't do anything until the top half finally slid off the lower trunk, landing with an earth trembling thud.

Sapphire was transfixed by the fluid movement of Maka's feet against the ground. She could practically feel their souls thrumming and communicating with every move, beating as naturally and fluent as a heartbeat. She could tell it came as naturally as breathing to the pair.

"It was… almost like they were dancing." Chris muttered. Sapphire had to agree after all the balls she's been to, the foot work and movements were definitely like a dance that could kill you in an instant.

"Exactly, fighting with your partner is exactly like a dance." Soul and Maka smirked at Sid's comment. They only knew the half of it. "Now then, I'll be calling the pairs one by one. You don't have to slice a tree in half, but we'd like to see a few attacks." Sid pulled out a clipboard and started calling kids up.

Chris waited anxiously for their names to be called and Sapphire was starting to worry for her weapon.

"Hey, Chris, you alright? You seem nervous." Sapphire asked. Chris nodded only to remember she couldn't see that.

"Yeah, maybe a bit." He agreed, laughing shakily. Sapphire thought about patting his shoulder, but not quite sure where it was settled for punching him lightly in the arm.

"It'll be fine, just trust me." She smiled. Chris relaxed. She was right, he just had to relax and go with her movements.

"Next up, Laura Evans and Christopher Lawrence." Sid called. Sapphire gently grabbed Chris's arm and led him to the center of the clearing.

"Alright, now then, this is your first battle practice as weapon and meister, yes?" Sid asked. They nodded. "Alright, good, then that makes my job easier." Sid smiled. "Now, if you would?" Chris gulped. Could he reciprocate her movements with the correct correspondence? Would he screw it up?

Sapphire felt him tense beside her and turned in his direction, holding her hand out for him to take, palm up. Chris stared at it for a second, then up to her face. Though she couldn't see him, she seemed to be giving a gentle smile. He relaxed once again and smiled in return, taking her hand.

"Ready?" She asked him.

"Ready." He replied. He transformed in her hand, blade hidden from sight again before the jaws snapped wide open. Everyone stared in awe and Sapphire nearly fell over at the sudden weight.

The blade curled and branched in nearly every direction, making the sword mimic a dragon breathing fire. In the center of the 'fire' was a grip shaped hole, probably meant for blocking, considering the size of the damn thing.

"What's wrong with them?" Sapphire asked.

"Just surprised them is all. Sorry, by the way, the blade doesn't appear right away." Chris said, image appearing in the blade.

"Maybe a little warning would've been nice. By the way, I never asked, what kind of weapon are you?" She asked, standing up a little straighter. Chris blinked at her before he laughed. Sapphire puffed her cheeks and brought the blade up to her face. "Hey, in case you've forgotten, I'm blind." She snapped irritably.

"I know, it's just… Never mind. I'm a demon sword." He replied, calming down.

"Alright, alright, quiet down!" Sid called to the jabbering class. Once they were all silent he sighed and turned to the other two. "Now then, as you already know, I'm going to throw some puppets at you. I want you to block, dodge or attack them so I can get a sense of your offence and defense maneuvers. I will help us understand what we have to work on with you two." Sid said and pulled up his clipboard to write on. Sapphire got into a ready stance, holding Chris up to her side.

Five puppets leaped at them from the trees. Chris quickly looked for the one that was the closest threat.

"Sapphire, 2 o'clock!" He called. She nodded and jumped out of the way, taking an attack of opportunity and slicing it in half. Sapphire arched her back as Chris instinctively twisted behind her to block another attack and she grabbed the grip again, swinging in a circle, effectively slicing three of them across their stomachs. She elbowed the last one that had attempted to sneak up behind her and jumped backwards over its head. She spun in midair, cutting clean through its head and adding one final blow to its back.

The last one fell to the ground as Sapphire stood up, satisfied that was the last of it. Chris transformed and stood up straight, facing Sid as he calmly wrote marks on his clipboard.

"Good, thank you, that'll do." Sid said as he finished writing. "Now, next up…" Sapphire walked off to the cover of trees and tenderly rubbed her sore chest. '_Damn, that hurt a little too much._' She thought to herself. She winced as she felt the familiar beat of her partner's soul reaching out through the link to check on her. And her brothers too. She lightly touched them both with hers, reassuring them that she was fine, though the action made her cringe.

She took a deep breath. It had just been a week since they were struck with the soul curse. She could tell Soul and Maka felt the effects still too. After all, they haven't gone on a mission since. Though whether that was their choice or the Shinigami's, she might never know.

"Sapphire?" Chris asked, walking up behind her. She was leaning on tree and taking deep breathes. She slightly turned to him.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, voice filled with concern. Though he'd only known this girl a little over a week, she _is_ his partner. He couldn't help but feel concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just… need a quick breather." She smiled. She felt his wavelength practically curl around her, a tender warmth washing over her. She had started to feel her soul perception take affect soon after the incident. While as Maka describes it as seeing lights all over the city, Sapphire felt the different emotions and textures radiate around her, churning and swirling in the air.

At first it felt like all the people around her had the same feel, but now she's just barely starting to see the differences in the wavelengths, the one thing that never changes in the texture.

And the emotions she felt in his wavelength at that moment was worry, concern, a need to help, to know what was wrong, and certain disappointment that told her he knew she wasn't being honest. Sapphire sighed.

"We should be getting back." She said simply and walked past him. He gently grabbed her arm before she could walk any further.

"You can trust me, you know. I swear I won't do what you thought I would. I'm not that jerk you had in your head." He muttered.

"…I know." She said and continued walking past him. '_I just don't want to burden you, Chris, you're too nice for that…_' She thought and walked into the clearing once more, a concerned and confused weapon right behind her.

_**Later that day**_

"You what?!" Tsubaki called in glee.

"Shh! I don't want the world to know!" Maka hissed harshly, looking to her bedroom door. Luckily their partners were off playing a one on one basketball game.

"Ooh! How long have you known?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Oh this is so cute!" The dark demon blade asked elatedly.

"Because! It's embarrassing!" Maka called, a blush evident on her face. Tsubaki giggled happily. "Besides, Stein said that I need reassurance or else the 'soul curse' will come back." Maka said. Tsubaki's expression turned serious, looking concerned t her friend. Maka sighed at her questioning expression.

"In one of the dreams I had, he was… marrying a girl… a girl that wasn't me." Maka said, looking down. Tsubaki looked at her friend sympathetically. "… Everyone was happy, all dressed in white celebrating as I watched him hold her, laugh with her, dance with her… _kiss her_." Maka started sobbing. "And I sat on the sidelines, just watching. If something like that happened in real life, I don't know what I'd do!" Tsubaki rubbed her friends back and pulled her into a hug, Maka's body shaking against her lap.

"I don't think anyone would know how to react, Maka." Tsubaki said tenderly.

"Nya~! What's wrong Maka-Chan?!" Blair asked, leaping into the room in her cat form and dipping her head to look the blonde in the face. Tsubaki shook her head at the cat.

"Look Maka, I know how you feel. There are times when I think Black*Star is going to go after the next heavy busted woman. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost him to someone or some_thing_." Tsubaki said, stroking Maka's hair from her face. "I think both of us know the only thing that would reassure you seems impossible to get." Tsubaki started. "But sometimes, things are closer than they appear." Maka looked up at her friend and took a shaky breathe, nodding her head and sitting up.

"You're right. Thank you, Tsubaki." Maka sniffed, wiping her eyes with a smile.

And so began the path to her reassurance that the one she now knew she loved, loved her back.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah! Started several pairings as it is! I feel accomplished. I guess you could call this one 'a filler' for further chapters. I don't want to jump right into it. Hee hee hee… Hope you enjoyed! REVIEW! Next time, _**The secret**_.


	9. The Madness Inside

**A/N:** Okay, so I changed the chapter name because of what I wanted to do. Here ya go, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9:**** The Madness Inside**

She had secret. She's had secret all week.

It's been nearly a month since the 'soul curse' and by now Soul and Maka should have been back on missions. Hell, even Sapphire had started her meister only sessions in Soul Perception while Chris was learning how to make his blade fully sharp (It had been a little dull during their trial run) so _they_ could start missions.

Soul knew something was up. The soreness in his chest had subsided into nothing, but Maka was insisting that they take a little more time off. Something was bothering his meister. He'd sometimes see her wince in the corner of his eye, but she'd immediately cover it up by saying "I'm fine, don't worry about it!" Well he's had enough. He was getting tired of her secrets.

They were sitting in the middle of the Crescent Moon classroom and Maka again had one of her 'hidden' winces.

"Okay, seriously Maka, this isn't cool. Just tell me what's wrong!" Soul whispered to his meister.

"Soul, I keep telling you, I'm _fine_!" She hissed harshly.

"Like hell you are, don't think I haven't noticed that you're in pain. What's going on?!" Soul hissed back.

"If I say it's nothing, it's nothing, okay?! So just-!"She winced again, gripping the area just below her chest.

"Maka?" He asked. She doubled and Soul practically dove to catch her. "Stein! Get over here, something's wrong!" Soul called, though Stein was already halfway up the steps.

"Everyone, make some room, make some room!" Stein called and bent down near the girl who was now writhing in Souls arms, crying out in pain.

"What's wrong with her?" Soul asked, trying to hold the girl down. Stein however, was having a hard time concentrating. He could feel the madness emanating from her.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, her anti-demon wavelength is unable to suppress it." He said in a steady, monotone voice.

"What?!" Soul exclaimed.

"Come on, we need to get her to the infirmary." Stein said, helping Soul lift the wriggling girl and they both ran to the infirmary, Soul had Maka in his arms. The whole class stood by in complete silence, all of them too stunned to move.

"Hold on Maka, just hang in there." Soul murmured quietly to his partner. She was gritting her teeth, trying to hold back her screams and her eyes were tightly closed, blood rushing through her ears and she felt like someone was trying to shove a jagged rock through her stomach with the force ten men, slowly spreading further through her body.

By the time they got to the infirmary, the pain was stretching its way down her shoulders and her legs. Soul set her gently on the bed, but just that was enough to make her cry out in pain again. Stein, meanwhile, was jostling around with things on his desk.

"Damn it Stein, what the hell are you doing?!" Soul shouted, obviously frustrated. Maka had begun writhing again.

"Looking for a sedative." Stein said. "Found it! Soul, I need you to hold her down!" Stein said and Soul had to straddle her to get her to stay still long enough, pinning her wrists to her sides. Stein walked up and positioned the syringe to her upper arm.

"Ooh, what have we here?" A chirpy voice toppled from Maka's lips. Both Soul and Stein snapped their heads to Maka's face. She had that crazy look on her face again. "Taking advantage of a poor girl, shame on you." The girl giggled.

"Maka?" Soul asked uncertainly. She giggled again.

"Nope! Nowhere close my dear boy. Ooh! And guess what I've found?!" She giggled. Suddenly, scythes sprang from all over the girl's body, miraculously missing anything important on the boy straddling her, but adding a few wounds to both sides of his waist and neck. The boy was too shocked to even move. "Her sleeping weapon blood." The girl giggled and wiggled her legs free, kicking the death scythe against the wall across the way.

He collided with a teeth chattering smack and slid to the ground. Maka just laughed uncontrollably.

"Soul!" Stein shouted, jumping out of the way from a blade aimed to decapitate him. Soul was struggling to sit up, his vision was swimming and _damn_, his meister had one hell of a kick. He was currently fighting off the darkness that blotched his eyesight, unsuccessfully, might I add. He was completely surrounded by darkness the next moment.

* * *

Soul woke up a few hours later to a cold breeze and very slowly became aware of a weight to his right. It was night and the window next to him was broken. His vision was blurry. He looked the sleeping figure at his side.

"Maka…?" He asked in a groggy voice. The figure immediately sat up straight.

"Soul? Are you awake?" A young girls voice said, laced with concern.

"Yeah, Maka, I'm awake." He said.

"Maka? Soul, I'm not Maka." The girl said. Soul's vision cleared and he saw not the face of his meister, but of his sister. Soul felt his heart sink a little.

"Sorry Sapphire, it's just a little dark in here, I couldn't see your face." Soul said, attempting to sit up. He immediately winced and Sapphire groped for his shoulder, gently pushing him back down.

"Don't move around too much, Stein said that you lost a lot of blood." Sapphire said, sitting back down. "It would be dangerous to lose any more."

"Lost a lot of…" Then it all came rushing back to him, like some horrible nightmare. Soul sat straight up, eye's widening at the sudden pain but gasping out a concerned "Where's Maka?!"

"Stein says she jumped out the window soon after you fell unconscious." Sapphire said, trying to get him to lay back down.

"I have to get to her, something's wrong, that wasn't her." He said, trying to get up. Sapphire continued her attempt to push him back to the bed, slowly but surely losing her patience.

"No, Soul, what you need is rest." Sapphire insisted.

"I need to get to her, before anything-!"

"Kid's already sent search parties for her! God damn it, Soul, settle down!" She shouted, shoving him harshly back to the bed. He tried getting up again, but Sapphire anticipated that, so she straddled him and pinned him to the bed.

"Let go of me!" He shouted.

"Not until you stop struggling and listen to me!" She spat at him. He froze at the look on her face. He's only seen that look once and that was when someone at school back home had made fun of her for being blind, that she was a defective little spoiled brat that couldn't do shit on her own.

Let's just say that kid couldn't walk straight for a month afterwards.

Soul swallowed a lump in his throat. "Okay… I'll listen." He said and Sapphire sighed.

"You make a damn move and I'll break your legs." She warned, getting off him and sitting back down in her chair. Soul tentatively began to sit up and she moved to straddle him again.

"I'm just sitting up!" He said. Sapphire sat down and Soul sat up the rest of the way.

"Look, we're doing everything we can to bring Maka back home, but the problem is we don't even know where she is. For all we know she could be halfway across the Nevada desert by now." Sapphire explained. "What we don't know is exactly what happened. Stein says that Maka just doubled over in the middle of class and soon after you called for help. Then she went crazy when you guys took her here. I'm still confused as to how scythes supposedly erupted from her body and injured you." Sapphire explained briefly.

"Well, Maka is like you, a meister with weapon blood. Whatever possessed her said that it'd found her 'sleeping weapon blood' or something." Soul said.

"Well, that kind of makes sense, I guess. Has she gone mad before though?" Sapphire asked. She realized too late that how she'd put it might have been a little insensitive. Soul didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah… once." Soul said. Sapphire put her hand on his bandaged arm.

"I'd hate to have to ask this but what happened?" She asked. Soul sighed.

"It's a long story, especially since I'd have to explain something that happened a couple months before." Soul said. Sapphire leaned back in her chair.

"Well then you'd better get started." She said, giving him her full attention. He sighed and braced himself to tell her about that time in Italy, what happened with Crona, the dreams, and that time under the school, during the Christmas celebration. It took him till sunrise to explain everything.

The sat in silence after he was finished, Soul's head racing and Sapphire deep in thought.

"...You don't think this is my fault, do you?" Soul asked, hiding his eyes. He didn't want to see her face.

"You say something like that again, I'll rip your throat out." She snapped. "This was not your fault, Soul. Whatever happened, it wasn't this 'Black Blood' you told me about. From what you've told me, her anti-demon wavelength should've protected her against something like this. Whatever's going on, something is repelling her wavelength. The question is, what?" Sapphire thought for a moment.

"Even so, the madness has to have been there before this happened. You can't just pick it up on the street like a virus!" Soul said. Sapphire's eyes widened.

"A virus... that's it!" She proclaimed, slamming her fist into her palm. "I know how this happened." Sapphire said. "And I know how we're going to find Maka. But first, I need to pay a visit to a friend of yours."

* * *

**A/N:** Did anyone else notice how Christmas should technically be kids Birthday since he is the son of their god? Hope you enjoyed! REVIEW! Must reach 30 before next chapter. That means, if you want me to continue this, I suggest you review. Bye!


	10. Not So Friendly

**A/N: **Okay, I couldn't stop writing and updating for the life of me, I'm just too showy, but thank you for the reviews! I love getting those. I got _myself_ hooked on this! I just can't stop writing it! Anyways, Enjoy! And review more please!

* * *

**Chapter 10:**** Not So Friendly**

The smell was what got to her the most.

Sure, all the sounds and threats and the fact that she was walking through a _prison_ got to her a little, but with her heightened sense of smell, that was the most nauseating factor.

It was the foulest thing she'd ever had the displeasure of being in the midst of. It smelled of mildew, rotting flesh, terrible body odor, and like a restroom that was in desperate need of cleaning.

She nearly threw up when they were about twenty feet away from the place. Her stomach churned in disgust and she wrinkled her nose for the same reason.

"Sapphire, are you okay?" Her partner asked beside her as she held her hand to her mouth.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, let's just get this over with. I don't want to spend a single second longer here than I have to." She said, taking a deep breath of the toxic air, wanting to gag soon after. Chris nodded, leading her by the arm once again. They were currently at a prison meant for enslaving witches who have strayed from the path. Chris had to guide her through it because A, she couldn't focus on her own and B, it was unfamiliar territory and they didn't allow dogs.

She doubted Blake would've made it past the entrance gate anyways.

"How much further?" Sapphire asked the guard that was leading them to the particular prisoner they wanted to see.

"Not long now, should be just up ahead." The guard replied, never stopping to reply.

"Remind me why Soul couldn't come himself?" Chris asked, not liking the dark, dank halls they were currently treading through. He didn't even want to think of what the puddles on the brick floor were.

"Three reasons. One, he needs his rest. I could tell he was still a little faint when I left this morning. Two, he'd probably rip this woman to shreds before we got anything from her. She was the one who started this whole fiasco after all. Three, I'm not entirely sure of my hunch. That's why we're here, to question the witch." Sapphire explained.

"We're here." The guard said, turning to the cell door. "Liana Gorgon, you have a couple of visitors." They heard some light laughter come from the darkest shadows of the cell.

"Oh, for me? It's not even my birthday. Tell me, did the little meister and her toy die already?" She giggled to herself. "Or, was it the other thing?"

"We're here to ask you some questions." Chris spoke, voice full of sudden authority. They heard the jangling of some shackles and the witch stepped from the shadows, each of her hands holding onto the opposite elbow. She was also hanging from the rafters by her legs, and she reminded him of a bat. He felt Sapphire shiver beside him and grabbed the crook of his elbow, pulling him back a little bit.

"Sapphire?" He asked concerned. She had a dead serious look on her face.

"This woman sets the hairs on the back of my neck on edge." She admitted in a deadly tone. Chris was almost scared. "Her soul is laced in malice. It's worse than the stench." Chris nodded. Liana just smiled broadly.

"You look an awful lot like that weapon boy. Why isn't he here with you?" She asked in a voice of mirth. Sapphire growled.

"You don't speak of him. You don't speak of Maka unless they are brought up in questioning, and you sure as hell don't talk unless asked a question. You give me a straight and simple answer, no riddles, no goose chases and no _lies_. Do I make myself clear?" At that moment, Chris swore he was standing with a completely different person. Her usual bubbly, irritable persona had completely vanished. The light in her eyes was gone, replaced by a murderous look. He caught himself in thinking that she was holding a piercing gaze to the witch. If he hadn't known she was blind he would've thought as much. "And if you breech anything in this agreement I _will_ know and you _will_ suffer the consequences." Chris flinched at her tone of voice, somehow darker than before. The witch just smiled, obviously unimpressed.

"Yes mi 'lady, of course." She said, dropping to the ground and bowing in mockery, that sickening smile plastered on her face from ear to ear.

"Are you the witch that put a curse on the death scythe Soul Eater and his meister Maka Albarn?" She asked, her voice unwavering.

"Yes." The witch replied.

"If either of them had an anti-demonic wavelength, would the curse suppress it?"

"Yes." The witches smile was growing with each question.

"Did you give either of them a madness spell as well?"

"No."

"Did you suspect that the meister already had madness in her soul?"

"As far as I could tell, they both did. I thought it was mutual." The witch said. Sapphire took a sharp intake of breath, struggling to not lash out at the witch as it was.

"Do you know the source?"

"How would I-?"

"Answer the question!" Sapphire snapped.

The witch breathed a heavy "No." And sat cross legged on the ground.

"…"

"…"

"…Liar." Sapphire proclaimed. The witch widened her eyes in surprise.

"How'd you-?"

"I'm not like any other meister you've run into, now answer truthfully before I lose the rest of my patience. Where did that madness come from? Where's the source?" Sapphire responded coolly. The witch tcked.

"Why should I tell you?" Sapphire breathed in deeply, probably in frustration. Chris suddenly felt her prodding his soul. He instantly understood her message.

"Guard, open the cell." Sapphire said. He looked at her like she was insane.

"But, miss-!" He suddenly was shocked into silence as he gazed her face. Her would be beautiful features were consumed with an intent to rip something to shreds.

"Open it." She said, grabbing Chris's hand. The guard said nothing and opened the door as Chris transformed. Sapphire stepped up to the witch that was still sitting on the ground.

"You wouldn't." She said. Sapphire aimed the hilt with Chris's silent guidance. The woman glared at the bladeless hilt. "You're bluffing! I'm the only one with the information you-!" Suddenly the dragon's mouth snapped open and the blade was inches from her nose. Though it was a little dull, she didn't want it to touch her.

"I don't give a damn. The only reason I came here was so I could find Maka faster, and to confirm my suspicions. To be quite honest, I was hoping you'd defy the conditions I'd given you so I could hurt you, get at least some redemption for my brother and I. The only thing I don't know is where his meister is and what her intent is. I have a suspicion as to where the madness came from, all I need is confirmation and there is always more ways than one to get that." Sapphire said threateningly.

"I'll ask one last time, where'd the madness come from?" Sapphire asked coldly, her expression darkening impossibly so.

"Th-the…" Sapphire cocked her head to the side. Even Chris thought it was creepy. "The Kishin! I was there when it happened and I saw what he did! When he ran her through with his hand he hid a piece of his soul inside of her, so he could survive! My soul curse likely allowed his soul to manifest and take control! Please don't kill me!" The witch begged.

"One last question, then we'll see if your life is worth sparing. Do you know where Maka Albarn is now?"

"The Kishins body is trapped in the black sphere encasing the moon. She's likely gone there to break him out." Liana answered. She trembled as Sapphire didn't move for a moment, then Sapphire lowered her sword and turned out of the cell. She stopped just outside and waited for the door to close before she spoke.

"…You were right, Liana." Sapphire said, the malice and anger dropped from her voice.

"W-what?"

"I _was_ bluffing." Sapphire left with that hanging thick in the air of the cell. Chris waited until they were out of the confines of the prison before he returned to his human state.

"Man, you've got one hell of a poker face Sapphire. I actually thought you were going to kill her." Chris said, shivering at the thought.

"You should know me better, we've been living together for a month. Still, the plan worked, though I was tempted to just cut some of her limbs off if bluffing didn't work." She said blatantly.

"You're kind of scary, you know that?" Sapphire said nothing, just started walking towards the soul wavelengths of the shinigami and his weapons.

Sapphire thought of how Soul would react and smirked. '_He'll probably dash out the door and hijack the nearest plane. Stupid lover boy._' She thought.

"How'd it go?" Kid asked as they approached.

"Sapphire was scary as hell." Chris sighed and they proceeded to tell him what happened as they flew back to death city, thinking up a plan for the now dire situation. If Maka tried breaking the black barrier, which is safe to assume she's already attempting, and she succeeded, then they'd have a lot more on their hand than just a skilled meister gone crazy and on the loose.

They'd have a full-fledged Kishin on their hands once again.

* * *

**A/N: **Done! Again, thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome, I love you all, please continue to review. I promise I won't do that review thing again, it hurt me more than it hurt you, believe me.

Woohoo! We're final getting on with the plot! It'll be a bit smoother from here. Hope you enjoyed!

Love, Angel.


	11. The Moon Part 1

**A/N: **Eep! I love you guys! I can't believe that you love this story so much! Thank you for the reviews! I love you! Enjoy this next one!

**Chapter 11:**** The Moon, Part 1**

"C'mon, Sapphire! It's my meister!" Soul tried to reason with his younger sister, immediately cringing at the pain as he sat up abruptly. Sapphire sighed at his predictable actions.

"I know that, but Soul, you'll be of no use to her the way you are. Especially considering the circumstances." She said, running her fingers through her hair simultaneously with Soul unconsciously.

"That's no reason to keep her location from me!" He insisted, gripping his hair.

"Actually, knowing you, you'd likely jump right out of bed, despite your condition, and go chasing after her!" Sapphire insisted. Soul deflated. She had a good pointe. He'd promised Maka he wouldn't abandon her, but sitting here, doing _nothing_ was not living up to that promise. He understood his sisters concern for his wellbeing, but all he cared about was helping Maka. It unsettled him when he didn't know where she was and, to be perfectly honest, he was scared. He couldn't feel her soul wavelength anywhere. He may not have soul perception, but the bond they shared, both emotional and soul wise, was near unbreakable at this point.

As far as he knew, only death could break it by now. So you can see how this can scare him. Kid was standing off to the side, watching the two bicker. Sapphire sighed heavily.

"Look, if I thought you were up to it, I wouldn't be protesting that you go and retrieve her. It's not my decision. In the end, it will take Kids approval and your willingness." Soul was breathing heavily in frustration, and it was like he was right by her ear to Sapphire when in truth she was leaning against the wall across from him. "Look, I understand how much you want to help her, but honestly, do you think she'd be very grateful once she found out that _you_, the person she wants to protect just as much you want to protect her, risked your own wellbeing just to go and rescue her." Sapphire continued to persuade. "It's likely that she'd just use it as another reason to blame herself for _your_ actions." Soul pursed his lips, seeing her point.

He really felt obligated to help his meister after all the times she's believed in him, saved him from his madness. But from Sapphires expression, this was far worse than what they'd originally expected. He understood that they had to choose their next move carefully. From what he could surmise, Sapphire wasn't going to tell him what was directly wrong with Maka, but she might at least answer questions she deemed wouldn't give it away, so he had to choose his words carefully.

"Sapphire, just answer me this." Sapphire stood straight, waiting for him to continue. "Am I right to assume that whatever is wrong with Maka, it's a madness that is stronger than her anti-demon wavelength?" Soul asked, giving her a piercing gaze that she could practically feel tingling her face. She thought for a moment, probably choosing carefully whether or not to answer, and how. Then she hesitantly nodded.

"In a sense, yes, I suppose it is." She replied. Soul nodded, not caring she couldn't see it and turned to Kid.

"The decision is left to you, Shinigami." Soul said. Kid looked between the two for a moment. Sapphires eyes were turned to him in an eerily accurate blank stare. Sometimes it seemed like that girl actually _could_ see. He was taking this into serious thought. There had to be some sort of compromise. He knew very well that Soul and Maka could overcome anything if they had each other, but Soul was in a bad condition as it is. If he got hit with one of Maka's attacks, there's no guarantee that he could be quite so lucky this time, and _that_ would shatter his meisters heart beyond repair. But without Soul, Maka might not resurface from her madness. They could drag Maka back with them, but that's a risky option too. Even if they bound her in chains Maka was cunning and strong, plus that wouldn't stop her from cutting Soul to bits. There was no option that wasn't risky. Soul had lost too much blood before. If he lost as much as a pint more, there's no way he'd make it. But Maka could very well cause the destruction of death city if they didn't do anything. Then again, that would happen anyway if Soul died before he brought her back to sanity. Just then, the door opened.

"I heard that there was an injured weapon." Kim said, walking in. "You should've called me right away, considering the blood loss." She smirked.

"Who are you?" Sapphire asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"My name's Kim Diehl, Witch of the Japanese Raccoon Dogs and Meister of Jackeline O. Lantern Dupre at your service." She said with a wink. Sapphire thought for moment.

"Not to be rude, but you're a witch _and_ a shibusen student?" She asked.

"Yeah. My powers specialize in regrowth. You are?"

"Sapphire from the NOT class. I'm his younger sister." Sapphire answered simply, indicating the weapon of discussion. "You said you specialize in regrowth. Aren't most witches supposed to specialize in destruction?"

"Yes, but that's what makes me special I guess. Anyway, I heard the argument through the door and I think I can help." Kim said, stepping up to Soul and sitting in a chair at his bedside. "Yikes, talk about a beating. And your blood flow is way down. You must have lost over half of what was originally in your body." Kim commented as she started to work on his wounds. "We'll have to close the wounds before we can replace that. You may want to lay down, this is going to take a while."

"Thank you Kim, I don't know why I didn't think of contacting you." Kid said gratefully.

"It's fine, I don't expect people to immediately think of asking me for help when something like this happens, no matter the situation." Kim said. "Now if you would please? I need to concentrate." She said. Kid nodded and pulled a reluctant Sapphire out with him. The last thing she'd heard before the door fully closed was Kim speaking.

"I'm going to need you to remove our bandages if I want to do this properly." And then the door closed and there was silence.

_**Later that day**_

Sapphire had told Chris to go on home and she'd meet up with him later, but he refused promptly. He said he didn't want to take Blake out when he got home, but he knew it was a poor excuse. Sapphire sighed, letting him follow her anyway.

She arrived at the dispensary, feeling along the wall for the door and opening it, being greeted by loud shouting she knew could only belong to Black*Star.

"Oi! Would you mind quieting down?! I don't want to go deaf as well as blind!" Sapphire scolded, walking in. Black*Star merely ignored her.

"Are we going to go kick some ass, huh?!" Black*Star shouted. Sapphire could feel the dangerous tremors from his jumping about.

"I don't know, it depends I guess. Would get off my bed Black*Star?!" Soul shouted. There was one last jump before it all stopped, his steel toed shoes hitting the ground with a heavy _thunk!_

"Hey! It's the blind chick! You here for another fight?!" Black*Star asked excitedly. Sapphire sighed.

"No, I'm actually here to see how my brother is doing, Bushin." Sapphire said. Black*Star deflated.

"Umm…" Tsubaki started tentatively, walking up to the white haired girl. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name's Tsubaki, I'm Black*Star's weapon." She said, holding her hand out for Sapphire.

"It's nice to meet you, you have a very pretty name." Sapphire said, smiling brightly.

"Hey, Sapphire, are you going to tell me where Maka is now?" Soul asked. Sapphire furrowed her brows in thought.

"Mmm… I don't know, how are you feeling?" She asked.

"Like I just had the life sucked out of me then shoved back in." Soul replied, emphasizing with a crack of his neck.

"You think you're up for a flight and possible fight?" Sapphire asked.

"…As long as we find Maka and bring her home, I'm up for anything." Soul stated. Sapphire sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"That might not be as easy as you make it sound. You see, the thing is… we went to see Liana and… she kind of told us… umm…" She trailed off, trying to figure out how to word it.

"Told you what?" He asked. Sapphire pondered her answer for a minute.

"…Is it true that Maka was run through by the Kishin?" Sapphire asked.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Soul asked.

"Well, you see, she kind of told us that the Kishin hid a piece of his soul inside her and because of the soul curse her anti-demon wavelength was suppressed, allowing the Kishin to manifest and take control of Maka's body." Sapphire said in one breath. Soul stood there, staring at her. Sapphire was nervously rubbing the back of her neck. The whole room stood in silence for what felt like a decade until Sapphire spoke up again. "It's believed that Maka is on the moon attempting to break the Kishins body out of the black sphere that's supposedly encasing the moon."

The room was filled with a tense, thick atmosphere as the three waited to see the death scythes reaction. Soul stood still, though his mind refused to do so. Overwhelmed with terrified thoughts of his meister. Would what happened to Crona's body happen to hers too? No, if that were the case the Kishin wouldn't be attempting to get its body back from the moon. But have they confirmed that that's what it's indeed trying to do? And if so, how did it plan on doing such? That sphere was tougher than stone… right? No matter the situation, he had to help his meister.

Soul looked up, a determined look on his face. "When do we leave?" Soul asked. Sapphire didn't know how to react, just widened her eyes. From surprise that he'd responded in that way or whether that he was so eager, she didn't know. Just then, Kid decided to walk into the room.

"We leave tonight, as soon as the moon's in sight." He said, walking in. Soul turned his attention to the Shinigami.

"What's the plan?" Soul asked. Sapphire was quite curious herself.

"Pretty much what you'd expect. We get to Maka, Black*Star, Sapphire-"

"-Why do I have to be there?!" Sapphire complained as he continued with his explanation.

"And I fend off any attacks she throws and make sure she doesn't attempt to break the barrier. Soul, you'll be making sure Sapphire is in the air fighting, all the while trying to create an opening for you to resonate with Maka and find her, bring her back and hopefully drive the Kishin out in the process while Black*Star keeps Sapphire suspended the rest of the time. And Sapphire, if anything goes wrong while Soul is trying to bring her back, I want you there to pull him out of it. That black blood of his can be troublesome." Kid said.

"This is all assuming Maka is even on the moon." Soul said.

"I've already had Mabba-sama check for us. She's there attempting to force it open by breaking it." Kid explained swiftly. Soul relaxed slightly, until he tensed up again.

"And if we get to her after she's already broken the barrier?" Soul asked. Kid stiffened too and the atmosphere turned dark.

"Then I'd be prepared for a fight to the death with an old friend." Kid growled. Soul, Black*Star and Tsubaki nodded in understanding.

"Kid." Sapphire spoke up. "Are you sure me a Chris are ready for this? We haven't even learned to resonate yet."

"We don't have much of a choice. Souls the only one who can drag Maka back to sanity and you're the only one who could bring him back if she dragged him down with her." Kid explained.

"And you know she's nearly done that before." Soul said. Sapphire furrowed her brows. She didn't like this plan, there were too many what ifs. What if Soul ended up dragging her down too, who would go get her? And what if the Kishin did reawaken, would she be ready to fight it? She's never faced and enemy she's had to kill before, who knows how far it would go? She didn't like the idea of midair fighting either, but it was the only plan they had. She nodded her head in hesitant understanding.

"Good, glad we all agree, now go prepare, this is going to be a long night." Kid left again, and Soul began to leave to. He was about to reach for the door when Sapphires voice stopped him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this Soul?" She asked him, her back to him.

"…We don't have much of a choice. You heard him, I'm the only who can bring her back."

"And if there's nothing _to_ bring back?"

"Don't talk like that! Maka wouldn't give up so easily!" Soul shouted at her, making her jump out of her skin and turn to the sound of his voice. "Though it's faint, I can still feel the link between us now that I know where she is. I'm going to bring her back, even if I have to go insane myself to do it." He declared and left the room in a huff. Unbeknownst to any of the others left in the room, Tsubaki was smiling sweetly yet knowingly at the weapons words. Sapphire shook her head, undecided on whether to not to feel happy he feels so strongly for someone or disappointed that he's so selfish.

_**At night fall**_

"What the hell took you guys so long!?" Black*Star shouted as Soul, Sapphire and Chris approached the air craft.

"I thought I told you to stop shouting or I'll go deaf." Sapphire said coolly.

"You wanna go?!" He shouted, pulling up his sleeve.

"How about not, we should get going." Soul said flatly, getting on the blimp. Black*Star pouted slightly and followed, Tsubaki right behind him and Chris helped Sapphire on.

"Is everybody ready?" Kid said.

"Just get a move on Kid." Soul said.

"He means yes, we're ready, so please just get flying." Sapphire translated bluntly. Kid did as much and Sapphire just about fell over.

"Let's get you to a seat before you fall on your face." Chris said, guiding her to the nearest passenger seat. Soul was standing looking out a window.

"How are you holding up?" Liz asked, walking up beside him. Soul shrugged, not looking at her.

"I just want to get Maka back, that's all that matters right now." Soul said, glaring out the window. Liz smiled a knowing smile. "…She's really brave, you know." Soul muttered

"Who, Maka?"

"No, Patty. I know that she wants to see Crona again. This must be really hard for her, having to delay his return like this." Soul explained. Liz nodded in agreement, looking to her sister goofing off, pretending to not know what's going on again and making Tsubaki and the others laugh or get annoyed. Liz wondered how she could hold such a bright smile like that, then shook the thoughts from her mind. This was _Patty_ they were talking about. She turned back to Soul.

"You are too, considering the circumstances." She turned back to the window. "You'll have to fight your own meister. I couldn't imagine having to fight Kid like that." She smiled sadly. The rest of the ride was spent with the only sounds were of Patty goofing off, Sapphire's annoyed remarks, Black*Star's declarations of godliness and everyone's laughter. But all were waiting anxiously for the battle that was sure to come.

The aircraft stopped. No one needed an explanation, so they all stood up, the weapons moving to their meisters and transforming, ready for anything, and Soul transformed into a scythe for Sapphire.

"Liz, Patty, keep the shots from harming Maka unnecessarily. Chris, Tsubaki, keep your blades dull enough to not cut her. Soul, you know what to do." Kid nodded to him and Soul nodded back through the reflection. "Are we ready?" He asked. Chris and Tsubaki easily dulled the blades, but it felt uncomfortable to them. Liz and Patty just had to watch how much force they put in the shots.

"Let's go." Soul said. Everyone silently agreed and the door opened. Soul was still able to fly with a different meister, using the link between him and Maka and Sapphire stood on him like she would a skate board. Kid brought out his skateboard and Black*Star recklessly jumped out the door, followed by everyone else. Sapphire silently shivered. It felt as though she was suddenly bathing in ice, though whether or not that was the wavelength she felt or the air surrounding them, she wasn't sure.

Everyone else was met with the sight of Maka, constantly striking the black wall with scythed arms and legs, an insane smile on her face.

Kid glared and called out to everyone. "Now!"

Black*Star lunged, Sapphire sped forward, Chris raised to her side and Kid aimed his guns as Maka turned to them, a frustrated pout evident on her face.

And so began the second battle on the moon.

**A/N: **Hee hee, Cliffhanger! Here you go! Hope you enjoyed! See you in part two!


	12. The Moon Part 2

**A/N: **To answer that one guest's question, this is based off the Manga. I know that shouldn't make a difference but they finished the anime before the manga was done, thus they have two separate endings. In the Manga, when all three stripes connected on kids head the Shinigami… he died and Kid became the new Shinigami. And I'd forgotten about Blair in that first chapter, heh heh… Enjoy this next one!

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**Chapter 12:**** The Moon, Part 2**

"Agh!" Sapphire cried as her back slammed against something hard and slightly rounded. The moon, she figured.

"Sapphire! Are you alright?!" Chris cried in worry. Sapphire just found her footing on her brother as she wiped the corner of her mouth, which was slightly smeared with blood.

"Damn, aerial combat really is not my forte." She muttered, a serious expression on her face as she faced their opponent. Though she may not see, the gut wrenching wavelength that practically seeped out of Maka was enough of an indicator. They'd been fighting with Maka for a few minute as it was and she just seemed to cackle louder whenever someone got hit or thrown into something.

"Awe, is little girlie scared?" Maka giggled. Sapphire cringed at the childish voice. It was weird hearing that and feeling such a cold wavelength seeping from her at the same time, that added to the fact that the voice just wasn't… well, _Maka_. Though she could still feel the meisters wavelength underneath all the grime, it was quickly fading. It wouldn't be easy getting to her. Sapphire only hoped that when they did, it wouldn't be too late.

"Sapphire?" Soul asked tentatively. It felt weird hearing that strange echo in his voice from below her feet. None the less she ignored him and turned her attention to the wavelength she recognized as Black*Star's.

"Black*Star, we have to hurry and get Soul to her!" She called urgently. Black*Star blocked an attack from Maka and called back.

"Don't you think I'm _trying_ here!?" He called and quickly dodged another swipe at his neck. Maka cackled as she flew through the air and danced sloppily in what should have been her solid, graceful strikes. Suddenly Maka flew straight past Black*Star and practically rammed into Kid who narrowly missed the sharp tip of a scythe protruding from her arm. Kid used one gun to shoot the scythe arm away and the other to shoot her in the stomach with enough force to send her flying backwards into the dark wall of the moon, likely breaking a few ribs in the process.

Sapphire wasted no time in lunging to her right, running along the side of the moon, her left hand grasping the scythe shaft of her older brother to stay on the sloped surface and the other poised to strike with Chris. She wanted to stun the girl long enough for Soul to get close and enter her consciousness.

Unfortunately, Maka seemed to have other plans. Or at least, the Kishin inside of her did. Maka lashed out at the white haired girl and Sapphire barely had enough time to narrowly avoid it, only receiving a scratch running from the middle of the right side of her cheek down to just below her jaw line. She leaped back a few meters and touched the wound to her cheek, cursing under her breath.

"Out of all the meisters to possess…" Sapphire muttered. A prickling sensation rose to the hairs on her neck as she instinctively leaped back, hearing a teeth shattering clang of metal against what she guessed was stone where she'd once stood.

Or that's how it sounded, anyway.

"Sapphire, move!" Soul called and she jumped to the left, hearing a sharp ring as the wavelengths emitting from Maka came dangerously close to her figure. She had to admit, this girl was fast. It might even rival herself.

Sapphire instinctively elbowed Maka in the back, causing the meister to grunt in surprise. Maka spun around and Sapphire heard the tapping of her combat boots clearly, spinning around the girl at the last second to dodge the head on strike. Maka didn't stop and aimed her blade downward at the black sphere they were somehow now standing on top of.

Sapphire heard the same metal against stone sound and jumped at the meister, hitting her with the end of Chris's grip in the middle of what she assumed to be her shoulder blades. Maka stumbled forward. In one swift movement, the possessed girl made a scythe sprout from her heel and attempted to finish this fight in one blow. No such luck as Sapphire was anticipating a brash move like that and blocked quickly, managing to catch the blade in one of the flame like edges of the sword. Maka retracted the blade and Sapphire lunged, poised to palm her in the stomach. Maka jumped to avoid, pushing off of the girls arm and leaping into the air, simultaneously shoving an unsuspecting Sapphire into the dark surface of the moon.

Maka giggled in glee at the site of the fazed girl getting up from the moon's surface. "You should see the look on your face!" Maka giggled. "Too bad you never will." Maka said seductively as Sapphire turned to the voice mocking her. A small flame of anger burned deep in her eyes. Sure, her face hurt, she was pretty sure she had a broken nose and she knew that sooner or later her eye would swell shut. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if blood was all over her face. But in that moment, all the attention she could possibly direct was aimed at the insane meister in the air above her.

What angered her more was the fact that one wavelength was overpowering the other. The icy, cold wavelength that churned and licked at her skin with a thirst for blood was gradually becoming more apparent and Maka's strong, warm and protective wavelength was being buried beneath it, fading from the reaches of her current perception. Sapphire gritted her teeth in annoyance. She knew Soul could feel it too, judging by how, despite is quiet and calm demeanor, his wavelength was getting more agitated and desperate as his meister was slowly slipping away.

They had to hurry, before they lost Maka for good.

"Black*Star! Kid! I need a distraction!" Sapphire called sharply. Maka cackled.

"Are you as stupid as you are disabled? You don't call something like that out in the middle of a-" The girl never got to finish off her sentence as two bright pink shots of energy shot passed her face. Maka quickly turned her attention to kid. His arms were crossed and guns aimed at the Kishin possessed Maka, barrels still smoking. Maka snarled and lunged, completely forgetting about the other two. She aimed to slice kid through his stomach but he jumped off his skateboard and above the blades, spinning and shooting at the sandy haired girl once more, effectively hitting her in the back. She quickly recovered from the attack and spun to the Shinigami only to be met with a steel toed boot in her stomach.

"Never forget you have more than one opponent!" Black*Star cried in furry as he punched Maka in the cheek and sent her flying back into the side of the moon.

"Hey, be careful, that's still Maka you're hitting Back*Star!" Soul called angrily. Black*Star ignored him and hovered by Kid who'd landed safely back on his skateboard. They both stood and watched as Maka slowly got up from the black wall and launched herself back to them, two scythed arms poised and ready to attack. Both Kid and Black*Star avoided the frontal attack and Black*Star elbowed her in the ribs, likely breaking one or two more of them.

Maka, or rather the Kishin, completely ignored the pain and spun almost immediately, narrowly missing decapitating Black*Star and instead leaving a large cut from the left crook of his neck to the right side of his collarbone. The Kishin smirked and licked its lips, admiring its work despite the frustration of being unable to finish this quickly. Her admiration was short lived as two shots of more soul energy hit her in the stomach and Maka snarled once more.

"I'd like to see you fight without those guns, _Shinigami_." Maka said, drawing out the last word with disgust.

"You really don't." Kid replied coolly. Maka lunged once more in a reckless attempt to slice him clear through the middle of his stomach once more. Kid quickly dodged and hit the heel of his foot into Maka's side, sending her spinning to a charging Black*Star. Black*Star swiftly clenched his fist and met the girl with his fist in her stomach. She coughed a small amount of blood and flew backwards into the moon. Wearily she stood up and glared at the two floating in the air no more than twenty feet away. Suddenly she heard the tapping of feet on the surface and spun a little too late. Sapphire roughly dug the grip of her sword into the older meisters chest, effectively nocking the breath out of her. Just when Sapphire was going to jump back and let Black*Star catch her like they had planned, she felt something cold suddenly slice through her side.

Chris cried out in horror and surprise. Sapphire couldn't figure out why her insides suddenly felt cold. She reached down and felt the cold surface of a blade protruding from her waist. Funny, she didn't feel any pain, just… cold. Not even when Maka ripped the blade from her did she feel anything, just rushing of wind as she began to fall and the strong arms that caught her, lifting her in the air as the sword disappeared from her grasp. She didn't feel weak either, just oddly… lifeless.

Maka smiled in triumph and, feeling a sudden burst of strength, gave the dark surface of the moon a sharp stab before two hands gripped her arms tightly. Before she had time to react, a choked voice ripped through her ears.

"Soul Resonance!" And Soul plunged into his meisters Soul once more, now with more motivation to drive that Kishin once and for all out of his meisters body.

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**A/N: **Hee hee, you can hate me if you want. It is my OC. I wanted to leave you guys thirsting for more, my evil sadistic side demands it. Heh heh heh. *Evil smirk* Review if you guys want more.


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